From time to time, we bring in guest columnists so that we can offer up a fresh, new perspective. This week, Nel comes aboard to share her thoughts. You can also read Teddi's column for this week here.
Hi, everyone! I have always loved the soaps. I used to watch Days of our Lives and Another World. I then became a longtime and loyal fan of The Young and the Restless. Another World was the first soap I ever watched, but when Y&R hit the airwaves, I was hooked. Now, I get to share my observations and opinions with you in Two Scoops fashion.
Kyle and Summer have a great working relationship, and it seems to be spilling over into their personal life. Kyle and Summer are hitting the road for a business trip. This begs the question: will they hit the sheets, as well? Summer still pines for Kyle, and Theo has set his eye on Lola. Many fans feel that Kyle and Lola are boring. I'll settle for a little boring for a marriage to last longer than 30 seconds, but, alas, I don't think it was meant to be. That would have been refreshing because they fought so hard to be together, but between Summer's obsession with Kyle, and Theo's with Lola, this might be the beginning of Kyle and Lola's swan song.
Summer gifting Kyle with a photo of her and Kyle as kids was very inappropriate, in my opinion. To me, that photo is Summer's way of rubbing her relationship with Kyle in Lola's face. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't want my husband's ex giving him a photo of him and her together. Sometimes, Summer appears to be more mature, but is she really? Perhaps she is, but when it comes to Kyle, she still exhibits a lot of immaturity.
There seems to be a major chink in the armor of Kyle and Lola's marriage. Can we put a name on that chink, Theo? Lola seems supportive of everything Theo does on the pretext of keeping things civil between Kyle and Theo. Who else saw the jealousy on Lola's face when Theo greeted a brunette and embraced her? Lola's look of relief was palpable when Summer informed her that the brunette wasn't Theo's date, but an influencer. So, who is going to destroy this marriage first, Kyle or Lola? Both have received help from Theo and Summer on this path. This business trip could prove to be interesting for Kyle and Summer and the folks they have left behind.
Connor is in his glory now that mom and pops are together again, but I don't believe his problems are over. This little fledgling seems to be emulating daddy's dark side. He has manipulated Adam and Chelsea into reuniting, and suddenly all his monster issues have disappeared. Not likely. Hold onto your seats because I think Connor is going to create more havoc than Chelsea or Adam will ever be able to control.
I thought it was so sweet of Connor prepare breakfast for mom and dad, but in this world of diet consciousness, it struck my funny bone that Connor prepared a breakfast for champions: all carbs, with waffles on the side. I'm sure mom and dad are grateful Connor doesn't prepare all their meals.
Speaking of Adam and Chelsea, Justin Hartley will always remain my favorite Adam, but Mark Grossman is doing a decent job. I know my opinion is going to chafe many behinds, but take a deep breath and think about this. I don't believe Adam and Chelsea will last. Adam claims Chelsea was the love of his life, but he said the same thing about Sharon. Adam loves to possess things. I think his love for Connor is real, but only skin-deep for Chelsea. He sees Chelsea and Connor as his possessions.
Chelsea is fooling herself thinking that the magical love she and Adam once shared has been reignited. She recalls how safe she felt before Adam was allegedly blown up and sees him as her safe place again, but Adam has changed since the explosion -- and not in a good way.
I don't recall Adam ever wanting to or being ready to kill anyone before. He framed Nick for his own faked murder, but other than allegedly accidentally killing Delia, he never set out to kill anyone. Yet there he was, ready and willing to kill his own father. That in itself is a major change in his personality, so what else lies beneath that composed exterior? Is Connor following in daddy's footsteps? I wonder if Chelsea believes her relationship with Adam will be what she'd hoped for or if she will regret leaving Nick.
Just how adorable was Chance when he told Connor that he was really impressed with how brave Connor had been during the crisis? He even thanked Connor for helping him catch the bad guy. I think my heart melted when he told Connor that the hotel was so safe that he now lived there.
Devon has finally admitted to Elena that he has a fixation on Amanda because of her likeness to Hilary. Sometimes an admission helps to quell those unhealthy and irrational feelings. I guess it could be akin to the Alcoholics Anonymous statement that your first step is admitting you have a problem. Elena understands, and she has his back. So far...
Devon chose to meet with Amanda and apologize to her, and he explained that he wanted them to move on. However, when he mentioned that he didn't care whether or not she'd had a hand in defrauding him, wasn't it curious that she became irate and stormed out. Like Devon, I noticed there was no forthcoming denial on her part.
I was happy to see Devon and Lily reunite. It was great to hear that Lily has moved on and is dating again. I also liked the fact that Lily wanted to see Cane punished if he had a hand in swindling Devon, but she wanted him to have a chance at redemption first if he was guilty. Why? Was it because she'd been incarcerated and felt he deserved a second chance? Devon pointed out that Cane had had many second chances. Devon also admitted that he regretted her incarceration.
Sharon's life-threatening breast cancer diagnosis hits too close to home for many of us. We are all too aware of what she is going through. The word "cancer" always strikes fear because the first thing to run through your mind is "What do I do first to put my life in order?" Your first emotional thought is that you are going to die in spite of the fact that your rational voice is telling you that many cancers can be treated. Sharon is overwhelmed with anxiety, but she wants to keep it to herself because she doesn't want to alarm anyone. The knowledge is too heavy a load to carry, though, and she will have to reach out for support. Thankfully, Rey and Faith noticed something was off with Sharon, and Faith alerted Nick.
I managed to stay dry-eyed at the beginning of this storyline, but I have to admit, the flood gates erupted when Sharon told Faith and Mariah she had cancer. I have to say, those scenes, in my opinion, were extremely well done. So much information was provided. For me, this is going to be a very difficult storyline to watch because it really hits close to home.
Many want to see a Nick and Sharon reunion, but as much as I loved them together, I think their time is up. There has been too much water under a bridge that has been blown up too many times. I honestly believe they are better off as close friends. As unpopular as this opinion might be, I think Sharon and Rey have a different type of relationship than she had with Nick. Sharon and Rey complement each other in a quiet way that she and Nick never did. Her relationship with Rey is comfortable, easy, and without the angst of Nikki's constant criticism. Nikki's criticism will never stop, but at least it won't constantly be about her precious Nick being tied to Sharon. So, the question is, who will be Sharon's biggest champion?
Well, once again, it looks like Billy is going to blow up his and Victoria's relationship. Billy has pushed his self-destruct button again, and Victoria is concerned. He seems to be in constant turmoil. She suggested that perhaps he needed a more challenging job, but Billy bristled and told her he wasn't relapsing or on the verge of gambling, and he wouldn't crash and burn. I'm sure that warmed the cockles of her heart.
Billy's inner voice says that Victoria sees him as damaged goods. He knows she loves someone, but it's not him. He doesn't know who he is, but he sure feels good. How odd. He has no reason to believe Victoria doesn't love him, so if he doesn't know who he is, how can he feel so damned good?
After allegedly overcoming his problem with an alternate personality, he has developed a new condition. Can we call it a persecution complex? He wants everyone to accept him the way he is, faults and all, and he wants everyone to stop trying to "fix" him. Obviously, this irrational thinking will escalate before he is "fixed." This is Billy's persona. I doubt that he will ever be fixed permanently.
Billy shocked Victoria when he told her he'd stopped seeing his therapist. He claimed he wanted to live his life rather than analyzing it. I wouldn't be concerned -- I would hit the roof! He has a gambling addiction, he has embezzled, and he developed an alternate personality that almost killed Adam. He needs therapy for those problems alone, not to mention his current issues -- but this is apparently going to get deeper, and it will require more attention, as well.
Billy is enjoying Amanda's company, but then his little voice keeps asking why meeting with Amanda feels so wrong. Hmmm, perhaps if he and Victoria had a heart-to-heart about his feelings, his turmoil could be abated with the help of some therapy.
Victoria has cause for her concern, especially after finding a receipt from the dive bar. When questioned about it, Billy lied. He told her he'd had drinks with a colleague. His inner voice then asked why he'd lied if he hadn't done anything wrong? Victoria was left wondering what Billy was hiding. She knew he was hiding something because all the signs were there.
Amanda Sinclair arrived in Genoa City and identified herself as a lawyer representing Chance, but she remains a complete mystery. I would be suspicious after seeing her business card with only her name on it, no name of a law firm or an address. What secrets is she hiding? So much time has passed, and we still don't have answers.
Amanda and Billy seem to have made a connection. She trusted Billy enough to tell him about her past and her ex-fiancé. She told Billy about the restraining order against her ex-fiancé for physical abuse. I can understand the restraining order against him if there was actual abuse, but I find it curious why her ex-fiancé took out a restraining order against her, especially when they're reciprocal (if you take out a restraining order, you can't contact that person, either). I feel it's time to peel back the layers and expose the real Amanda Sinclair. Was she really duped by Cane and/or Colin, or was she in on the plan to swindle Devon?
Amanda told Billy she felt threatened by Devon because he was so well connected in the community and because everyone knew he resented her. She now wonders how she will be able to draw in clients. She sleeps in the bed she made, and now she hopes that someone will prop her up? Devon has already apologized to her, so I'm not sure what she wants Billy to do about it.
Billy told Amanda that he thought he'd over-promised Victoria that he would always be her rock, but he can't talk to her because all she wants to do is fix him. I had to laugh when Amanda, who has known Billy for five seconds, said he didn't need fixing because he wasn't broken. Amanda has no idea about Billy's background. Or perhaps she does...
I have to agree with Tamilu. Last week she wrote that she was happy that Michelle Stafford had returned as Phyllis Summers. I, too, am delighted she is back. I was sorry to see her leave General Hospital as Nina Clay because she did such an amazing job, but then she is an amazing actress. I loved the chemistry between her and James Patrick Stewart. Gina Tognoni did a decent job in the role of Phyllis, but I don't think anyone could pull off Phyllis like Michelle does. Her portrayal of Phyllis has always been naughty, devious, and complicated.
From the minute Phyllis arrived in Genoa City, she created trouble, no matter where she went. She duped Danny Romalotti into believing she'd had his baby, allegedly killing her friend Sasha and blackmailing Tim Reid, the psychiatrist, who testified in her favor at her divorce hearing. Michelle has a way of setting people's teeth on edge. She's a barracuda; once she sinks her teeth into something, she will pursue it with a vengeance -- which is the reason she is constantly in Chance and Adam's faces. She wants to know what happened in Las Vegas, and she won't stop until her curiosity has been fed. A plausible lie from either Adam or Chance might shut her down!
It looks like Phyllis and Nick will be paired up, but I would really love to see Phyllis and Jack back together. I believe they brought out the best in each other, and they still seem to have a lot of chemistry together. They kept each other on track and remained very loyal to each other until she hooked up with Billy. In her defense, I believe she turned to Billy because Jack seemed to have taken in stride what Victor had put them through. She was beyond humiliated and bitter that Victor had fooled her with a doppelgänger of Jack. She continued to feel violated and wanted payback. To her, it felt like Jack didn't support her.
Phyllis wanted to own the Grand Phoenix, but she lost it to Abby. Phyllis wants to win it back, and that means getting in Abby's face. Phyllis has her eye on Chance. She is using every provocative trick in the book to attract his attention, but will she win Chance's heart or will Abby?
Mariah misses Tessa terribly. I have to wonder if Tessa and Mariah's relationship will survive. Mariah's green-eyed monster showed up after Tessa sang her new song to Mariah. Mariah commented that her song was edgier than what she normally sings. Tessa told her that Tanner had helped her develop the song. Will Tessa and Tanner develop feelings for each other and ride off into the sunset, leaving Mariah heartbroken? Tessa and Tanner seem to have an easy relationship while working together.
Best lines of the week
Summer entered Society alone, and Mariah said, "Where are your matching poodles, Kyle and Theo?"
After Phyllis walked away from Chance, Abby asked Chance, "Don't you love dancing with a cobra?"
Abby told Chance that they were only dating and suggested, "If you want to visit Phyllis' crazy playground, go for it."
When Phyllis asked what had happened to Adam and Connor, Chelsea responded, "Shouldn't you be somewhere blackmailing someone or breaking up someone's marriage?"
Nick encountered Phyllis and asked if she'd seen Chelsea. Phyllis' response: "Why don't you check out the bar, maybe there are some old guys there who are about to croak and leave her millions of dollars."
And that's all from me this week. Until we meet again!
Nel
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