Grab the champagne, Scoopers. It's a good week to be an ATWT fan, and especially a Trent Dawson fan. The show scored 12 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Writing Team and Outstanding Drama Series. Five ATWT actors were nominated for Emmys, inducing Dawson for best supporting actor. Can I get a Woo HOO up in here?

Congratulations to Jennifer Ferrin, Grayson McCouch, Jennifer Landon, and Will Soffer for their well-deserved nominations, too. Each of these actors gave fantastic performances this year.

I'm most excited about Dawson's nomination. After three years of filling this column with declarations of adoration for his brilliant portrayal of Henry Coleman, hoping more people would watch and that someone would take notice, it appears someone has: emmy voters. Comedy isn't easy to do, but Dawson makes it look effortless. And he doesn't disappoint when given the heavy drama either. His heartbreaking performance of a man married to a woman who didn't return his love was one of the best of the year. The scene where he broke down on the porch of the cottage still resonates. The Emmys are scheduled to air on ABC on Friday, April 28th, at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile:
--As pleased as I am with the Emmy nominations, there were three more names that should have been included: Hunt Block, Cady McClain and Maura West. They all gave blockbuster performances last year.

--Have you seen Luke Snyder's blog? I looked it up on the Web to see if it was real, after Holden read Luke's comments on the computer. (Yes, I know I need a life.) It turns out that the blog is the real deal. And Luke Snyder is hilarious. Who knew? I laughed out loud at his blog entry explaining that his dad is really his mother's uncle and that he is his own cousin, once removed. No, that isn't a typo. Check it out: http://lukesnyder.blogspot.com/.

--Note to Nick: When you're supposed to be undercover, gawking at Carly and causing a scene isn't exactly keeping it on the down low.

--Carly looked smoking hot in that waitress outfit, but am I the only one who thinks she's going to end up dancing on that pole before this thing is done?

--Carly just never learns her lesson, about lying to Jack. Good for her. I call it the Road Runner/ Wile E. Coyote Syndrome, when a character repeats the same action over and over with the same result, while still entertaining us. We know Carly's going to lie. We know she's going to get caught. And we know Jack will be furious, again. Despite all that, it never gets old in the talented hands of Maura West. Yep. It's the Road Runner Syndrome for sure.

--Another new character popped up in Oakdale this week. Jade came to town, claiming to be dearly departed Rose's daughter. Hmm...I'm not buying it. Sorry. First, she looks way too old to be Rose's daughter and doesn't resemble her at all. Second, she got her adoption papers from the The Orphanage of the Little Flower? That Sister Anne, who verified Jade's story, seemed suspicious to me. She was a little too sweet with her, "Bless you" comments. Calling a nun a liar. Wow! I've really crossed the line here, haven't I? I hope Jade turns out to be a scam artist. Oakdale needs a feisty new bad girl. And with her grace and elegance, Jade could be a keeper.

--I asked your opinion on Nick, and boy, did you give it. Thank you, Scoopers, for your candid responses. I felt the love. But, Nick, well, not so much. You overwhelmingly don't like this character, based on the e-mail I received. I did receive a couple e-mails in support of him, but for the most part, you just want him, and his attitude, gone.

--I guess Nick doesn't think too highly of his character either. During his argument with Carly when she told him Jack was worth 10 of him, Nick disagreed. But, then he said that Jack was worth "seven, maybe eight" of him. I thought Nick was supposed to be cocky? You do the math.

--So, all it takes to fool Margo Hughes is a pair of glasses, a French accent and a beret? Paul's thin disguise should not have been enough to hide his face from a woman who's known him most of her life. Just when you thought the Oakdale police department couldn't get any worse, one of its top detectives gets hoodwinked. What is this, May berry?

--Will Munson has the worst luck. His fight with his mother ended with her accidentally knocked unconscious. That poor kid is never going to be able to deal with the guilt Barbara is going to lay on him for that incident. No one does angst and brooding better than Jesse Soffer, but seriously, can't Will just have some fun for once. All this drama is wearing on him. I miss his smile.

--Let's all take a moment to say THANK YOU Casey Hughes for cutting your hair. It looks fantastic! Or perhaps we should be thanking the hair department. It looks like they gave Nick a trim, too.

--Does waitressing at a strip club really pay $50 a night, tax free, plus tips? Wow. That's decent money for only a few hours work. The things you learn watching soaps, huh?

--Maddie Coleman makes me laugh every week. I love her fantasies, complete with costumes and lighting. Keep them coming.

--I guess Paul's transformation is complete. He's now following in his daddy's footsteps of dressing in disguise. His beatnik costume for "Mr. Pollack" was a hoot.

--I'm not sure, but I think Barbara used the word "bilious," when describing the doctors at the hospital. Nice.

--I couldn't help but laugh at Jack and Nick arguing over which one of them should go under cover for the gambling operation. The fact that either of them think they're anonymous is beyond crazy. When Jack was missing, his face was plastered all over the television. Then, Nick became an instant celebrity after saving WOAK. It's obvious that Henry is the go-to undercover guy here. (He's already in the gambling ring.) Someone needs to get on board with that idea.

--Where is Nick getting that endless wad of cash that he keeps flashing at the strip club? Does the Oakdale PD really have that kind of money to blow on undercover sting operations? If I were Hal, I'd ask for a raise.

--Apparently, the doctors, nurses and paramedics must not have worked too much on Barbara during her unconscious rush to the hospital. She woke up with full makeup, perfect hair and not even a smudge in her lipstick. Now for any other Oakdale character, I wouldn't buy this. But this is Barbara. I can see the Queen of Couture reaching for a mirror, as soon as she awoke to touch up her face. And I can see her making Jennifer bring her that black nightie, so she wouldn't have to suffer those horrible hospital gowns.

--Dusty Donovan's sexy voice is like music. When he says "Jenny," is it wrong to pretend he's talking to me?

--Thumbs up to Jack's depression at his new job. It's realistic that this adrenaline-junkie cop would be less than satisfied with his new gig. His hilarious story about how he now spends his days with his crueller-eating co-worker Wilbur, who likes birds and has his own Web site, was hysterical. I feel his pain.

--Shouldn't Jennifer be straightening her hair again now that she's off the meth? Or maybe she just doesn't have time with the new baby.

--Can anyone explain to me how Paul is getting from the cabin back to Oakdale without a car when it's supposedly more than 50 miles from town? I'm horrible at math, but I don't think even the best scholar could solve that problem.

--It's not a good sign that Mike is leaving town just as Katie begins planning their wedding. Her comment that everything was going to be perfect is a hint that it probably won't.

--So, Carly and Jack like to role play during sex. Can you say, too much information? Despite that I'm sure Jack makes a hot gardener to Carly's "Desperate Housewife," that's just one mental picture I didn't need.

--Carly's lie that she bought her red outfit at a yard sale should have sent off alarm bells with Jack. Who has yard sales in the middle of winter in the Midwest? Jack, Jack, Jack, you call yourself a detective?

--Is there anything better than Barbara and Carly bickering? I could watch them all day.

Best Lines of the Week:
(After being released from the hospital, Barbara shows up at Carly's demanding to search her house for Gwen.)
Carly: "I heard you had a concussion, Barbara. Would you like another?"

(Henry gets thirsty while visiting his sister Maddie, who is staying with the Hughes.)
Henry: "Where in the Sam Hill do they keep the hooch around here?"
Maddie: "Tom and Margo actually work for a living, so they don't really have time to come home and booze it up."
Henry: "Oh, come on, Maddie, they deal with hardened criminals all day long. Are you telling me they don't need a little reinforcement when they come through that door?"
(Henry spots a bottle of what looks like liquor in the fridge.)
"Ah Haaa! Crème de Menthe? Good Lord, who are these people?" (Takes a drink, then gags.) "Am I supposed to drink this or gargle with it?"

Reader Spotlight:
I received a ton of fun e-mails the last couple weeks that I had to share.

(From Two Scoops reader Lisa.)
"In response to Nick, I love his look, hate the character. He is way too young for this role. I don't understand why we keep getting these guys who you can't even love-to-hate. Doc Reese was a good example. I would add Keith and BJ. They come to town to stir up trouble, but they are so unbelievable you can't enjoy them. Who would really fall for the stuff these guys pitch? Let's get some new good guys on the scene!"

Here, here, Lisa!! From you keyboard to the show honchos' ears. The edgy guys of late just haven't had the charm or charisma of Simon, Craig, Henry and Paul, who at one time or another we loved to hate. ---Jennifer

(From Two Scoops reader Sandy.)
"I'm loving Emily and Henry. Not sure if they need to be a "couple" or not, but they are funny in the same way that Cass and Felecia used to be on "Another World." Cass wore dresses too, to hide from gangsters."

Sandy, I forgot about Cass's walk on the womanly side! I agree about Em and Henry. They're fantastic together. ---Jennifer

(From Two Scoops reader Marie.)
"Did I miss it or did Meg ask Paul how he got to the church? Did he hide in the trunk of her car? The back seat? Crawl there on all fours? And how did Gwen & Will go to sleep on the park bench with snow falling on them and there was no snow when Kim found them? Are the continuity people napping?"

Marie, these are all good questions, for which I have no answer. So, I'm going with yes, the continuity people may have been napping those days. ----Jennifer

(From Two Scoops reader David.)
"I think it was odd that Kim Hughes didn't show up for Paul's funeral...just like Henry not attending Mike and Katie's engagement party."

Me, too, David.. It's weird, no? ---Jennifer

(From Two Scoops reader Coleen.)
"Let me get this right. You loathe Paul Ryan for faking his death yet you seem to think it is okay that Emily and Henry get together. Didn't Emily just shoot Paul? Shouldn't she be found out, arrested, and thrown in jail? You can't find anything to like about Paul who faked his death but you see a future and a relationship for a woman who shot someone and flung him off a cliff without a second glance. Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense."

Yes, Coleen. Emily should be made to pay for what she's done, too. She's not one of my favorite people either. Way too often on soaps characters aren't made to pay for their crimes. (Barbara comes to mind, here.) I simply meant that I'm enjoying Henry's screen time with Emily. I didn't mean in a romantic way. They are funny together. But, I'd much prefer he spend his time with either a new gal or possibly even morally challenged Meg. But, it doesn't look like that's going to happen, so I'll take what I can get. The only way I see Emily getting away with her crazy crime, is if Paul continues to feel guilty and protects her. Or if Nick and Hal stay on the case! But she should definitely see the slammer for a while or a padded cell. Who takes a gun to their own wedding? ---Jennifer

(From Two Scoops reader Connie.)
"About Nick Kasnoff: I'm not loving him, either. Part of the reason is that he is being written as unlikable, but I'm having a hard time warming up to the actor, as well. Maybe he just needs some time to develop this character, but he seems a bit blah to me so far. I doubt I will ever like Nick Kasnoff, as long as he maintains his "I see a beautiful woman, I gotta go after her" lifestyle. He acts as if he's totally justified hitting on every married woman he sees because he "just can't help himself." Oh, please. If Jack doesn't pummel him, I'm on the next plane to Oakdale to take care of this, myself."

Connie, I'll meet you at the gate! ---Jennifer

That's all for now Scoopers, but I'll be back again next week. I'm covering for Reggie.
Jennifer Biller