Jack is not acting like his true-blue self. Proposing to Julia, while he's having memories of his past life is so un-Jack-like. And since when did he become cruel and irrational? His recent treatment of Carly is despicable.

This gripping story has more questions than answers: Why is Jack so angry? When will Carly reach her breaking point and find that backbone we all know she has? When will Hal and Margo smack some sense into their best friend? Will Carly finally give up on Jack and move on? I can't wait for the answers.

In other observations:
--Where is Nikki Munson? Abducted by aliens? Working a big case? Trying her poker skills in Vegas? I know the character wasn't a big hit with viewers this time around and the actress was let go, but did I miss an on-screen explanation for her sudden absence? It seems she's just gone the way of the dinosaur.

--Really Hal, eating doughnuts in the cop shop? That was too funny. Leave it to the Oakdale police to perpetuate those stereotypes. And how many cops will Barbara successfully drug, before they get a clue that her cooking is lethal? They fall for her act every time.

--Apparently someone at ATWT got my bribes, John Dixon is back baby! The good doctor was on screen four days last week. I think that's more days than he's had onscreen in the last year. And he finally had a conversation with Dusty. Unfortunately, it wasn't about their father-son-relationship or the fact that these two have had little contact since Dusty returned to Oakdale. But at this point, I'm just happy to see them in a scene together.

--Welcome back Sierra. I can't wait to see her mixing it up with Craig, Lucinda and the rest of Oakdale. My money is on this scorned widow as the one who kidnapped Craig. On a purely shallow note, Mary Beth Evan is gorgeous. I swear, the woman never ages.

--When Craig starts talking about himself in the third person, you know things aren't going to go well. As for who really abducted him, it's tough to say. His list of enemies is longer than Barbara's criminal record. My theory for the top suspects are Sierra, Dominic or Craig himself. The wild card is Lucy. Perhaps, she wanted to give Craig a taste of his own medicine.

--By now you've heard that Peyton List is leaving the show. That's unfortunate, considering ATWT has so few young players on the canvas. List's talent will be sorely missed. Of course, Lucy's departure will mean Dusty is a free agent again, so that could be fun. Which of Oakdale's ladies will be bellying up to the Metro bar to flirt with this bad boy now? I'd like to volunteer my services right now, if no one else is available.

--Rosanna has quickie marriage down to an art. It's impressive she pulls off these ceremonies so fast. Remember Jordan and Craig? If Cabot Motors ever bottoms out, she definitely has a future as a wedding planner.

--Nancy is one hip senior citizen. I couldn't help but laugh when she called her cookies "the big guns." Oh, how I love this groovy granny. I hope Katie's return will merit Nancy some more screen time. I've missed her.

--I keep waiting for Rick Decker to show up. Will he make an appearance at the wedding? Will he go after Emily or Susan? I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him.

--It's about time we saw Emma. But I'm still waiting for her to have a heart-to-heart with Jack. Their quick reunion scene wasn't nearly long enough. If anybody can get through to Jack, it's Emma.

--Mike and Jennifer are hot. I'm loving this pairing. They're fun. And they have chemistry. The scene where Hal busted them was hilarious. Regular readers know I never warmed to the Jordan/Jen romance or her previous liaisons. But I think Mike and Jennifer are working because she wasn't portrayed as desperate. When Katie returns, things will definitely be interesting.

--Who knew you could get out of a police ankle monitor with just a tube of hand lotion? Barbara never fails to impress. And her obsessiveness over her children is just abnormal. This woman needs therapy and a love interest. Then, maybe, she'll stop her creepy meddling into her sons' lives.

--Jennifer gets the award for best dressed at the wedding. From her wavy hair to stunning gown, she looked incredible. I'm sure Jordan wanted to kick himself. Or maybe Mike.

--Could Ben be transitioning into a bad boy? With his drug problems and marriage ending, the man is bitter these days. Not to mention, if he did mess up Aaron's surgery and leave him paralyzed, I see nowhere for Ben to go but down. Ben has never been one of my favorites. He's always been a little too boring for me. But Ben with an edge might be a whole lot of fun.

--New Will is so wonderful, I am actually looking forward to a summer teen storyline for the first time ever. Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that.

--It's the time of year when we count our blessings. So, let's pause to give thanks for all that's good in Oakdale. I'm thankful for my favorites: Carly, Henry, Katie and Craig. And of course, we should all give thanks that Barbara Ryan doesn't live in our town and that our local police departments don't operate as poorly as the Oakdale PD.

Best Line of the Week:
(Mike tries to convince Jennifer to go with him to Paul's wedding, instead of driving alone.)
Mike: "I just thought that since we'd be going anyway, we could do our part to fight air pollution."

Reader Spotlight:
Two Scoops readers have been a vocal bunch the last couple weeks. Love it or hate it, the Jack/Julia storyline has everyone talking. Here, readers give their opinions:

(From Two Scoops reader Elaine.)
"I really hate Jack right now. What a pompous pig. I actually think he and Julia deserve each other."

(From Two Scoops reader Sue.)
"I am beginning to think that I am the only person on Earth that actually likes the character, Julia. She is a great actress, seems to steal whatever scene she is in, and I think that she and Jack have a lot more chemistry than Carly and Jack. I sure hope they keep the actress who plays Julia on, long after the inevitable reunion of Jack and Carly."

(From Two Scoops reader Amy.)
"In regards to Julia, she is one of those characters that you kind of feel sorry for at first. She tried to hold Jack off, but after awhile gave up holding him off and gave in. She should of told him about Carly and the children when she first learned about them. However, on another note I am glad to see that the spoiled Carly isn't getting Jack back immediately. For all she's done to Jack, it's about time she experiences some of the pain he has in past years."

That's all for now.
Happy Thanksgiving Scoopers! Go easy on the turkey.
See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller