Never, I repeat, never, cross Craig Montgomery. If you do, your reward could be a roofie in your tea or staring down a gun barrel on the edge of a perilous cliff. This new/old Craig is so sinister that I almost expect him to start talking about fava beans and Chianti as he torments Meg.

Therein lies the problem, for me. Since Scott Bryce took over the role, smarmy Craig has added a new layer: evil. Yes, Craig has always been morally challenged, but not in serial killer, make-the-hair-on-your-neck-stand-up kind of way. The Craig I know and loved often made the wrong moral choice, sometimes resulting in catastrophic consequences. But I don't remember him torturing people for the fun of it.

Despite this new twist on Craig, Bryce plays it with a beautiful vulnerability that makes audiences empathize and understand why he's driven to his actions. But his performance is also laced with an underlying hint of insanity that is beyond creepy. Is this new personality trait permanent for Craig, or will his gun-toting crazy cliff expedition be forgotten as quickly as Emily's was?

In other musings:
--I finally discovered why Lucinda and everyone else in town can't resist Al's diner. The new manager is a hottie. Hello, cutie! And you thought Lucinda just went there for the vanilla milkshakes.

--I'm betting what happened in Vegas won't stay in Vegas, when it comes to Ali and Dusty's one-night stand. Just once, I'd like to see the Stewart gals be involved with different men. This storyline smacks of Chris Hughes redux.

--Even during Craig's creepy meltdown this week, he still made me chuckle when he called Paul "the hallucinogenic parasite." It's good to know Craig hasn't lost his sense of humor.

--It's good to see Aaron back in town. Could Lucy be far behind? Just imagine if she came home. That would be one twisted love square with her, Dusty, Ali, and Aaron.

--Parker broke my heart this week. When he hugged Carly and Jack, it was a breakthrough moment. Months of anger seemed to drain out of him. I hope Parker has turned a corner and can try to forgive Carly for her horrible parenting skills.

--Ali said that Aaron called her a whore when he caught her cheating. I can't imagine what he'll call her when he finds out she's a porn star. Cover your ears, Scoopers.

--Does Emma scare anyone else? I love her! She got sassy with Craig this week, when he asked if he could call her 'mama,' now that he's part of the family. "I don't think so, big boy. Not now, not ever," she growled back. You go, girl.

--I loved the Craig/Margo scenes prior to the wedding, when she acted as his best person. I miss the family scenes between Margo, Craig and Katie. I wish we'd get more of those "real" scenes with the three of them bickering about family stuff, rather than Craig turning psycho.

--Vienna takes the prize for the understatement of the week when she pondered this topic: "I just don't get it; Why do so many men fall for Katie?" Well, Vienna, Oakdale is a small town.

--I've done a complete 180 about the character of Meg. When she first hit town, I loved her. Now, I can barely watch her scenes without reaching for the fast forward button. Maybe it's her romance flip-flopping between Paul and Craig that's put me off. I do enjoy her scenes with Holden and Emma, so I guess that's something.

--Poor Henry. He finally finds his dream woman a rich, socialite who has no responsibilities and the first thing she wants to do is get a job. I can see Vienna running with her spa business idea, but I'm not sure what Henry would do there, unless they need someone to mix martinis.

--Perhaps someone should tell Vienna that the main ladies of Oakdale have not had the best experiences at the spa. Carly, Lily and Emily have probably banned the word "spa" from their vocabulary after the James Stenbeck incident.

--Was Meg really willing to sleep with Craig to make her scheme work? Ewww. Maybe Emma should have lectured her a little more about the sanctity of marriage.

--Gwen and Will have clearly lost their minds. Why else would they hire crazy Cleo as Gwen's assistant? Um, did they forget she was playing dress up and impersonating Gwen a few weeks ago? I can't wait until they discover her real fascination with W&G.

Best Lines of the Week:
(Katie tells Jack she'll stay with the kids, while he and Carly look for Parker.)
Jack: "What about your brother's wedding?
Katie: "I'll catch the next one."

(Meg withholds sex from her new husband on their honeymoon.)
Meg: "What did you want to do this morning?"
Craig: "I thought that was obvious."

Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops reader Heather.)
"I've said this before, but I just can't get past it -- does no one care that the men in Oakdale keep dating younger and younger "women"? Look at Mike: He went from Rosanna/Carly in his original stint, to Katie to Jennifer in his last trip to town. Rapid aging aside, Jennifer was still practically a teenager! Now, Jack is doing the same thing with Katie. He is DECADES older than she is, especially when you consider that her behavior and antics are so immature that they actually bring down her mental age. I know soaps are all about aging characters, but it disgusts me to think about these girls who were so recently teenaged characters, now getting down and dirty with men who have been leading MEN for so many years. Are there really so few women in Oakdale? It makes much more sense to me to have Katie in a triangle with Alison or Henry or Vienna or ANYONE closer to her own age group."

(From Two Scoops Staci.)
"I read what (Two Scoops reader) Steve had to say about Hunt Block and Scott Bryce, but I think he is completely wrong in so many ways. I have been watching this soap from as far back as I can remember, and I do remember when Scott was on here before. He fits the part better as a ladies man and a snake in the grass."

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