Jack Snyder, you have my sympathy - and hopefully the number to a good divorce attorney. How can you not feel bad for a guy whose wife did a terrible thing, in a lame attempt to help him? Michael Park deserves a special mention this week for that powerhouse performance of a husband who discovered that once again his wife is a liar. Realizing Carly had betrayed him, Jack looked like someone had kicked him in the stomach. His eyes were cold and hard, his body rigid. "I'm just done," he said in a defeated voice, after their emotionally draining argument. And this time, I almost believe him.

Yes, Carly was wrong. She once again didn't think about the consequences of her actions. But, she made a good argument that Jack lied also. And then she played the "Julia" card. (I don't blame her. I'm still ticked about that, too.) Maura West deserves applause, as well. Her desperation to keep Jack from walking out was played beautifully. And then, she pulled out the compass. No, not the compass! It was almost my undoing. I can't imagine what it did to poor Jack.

We all know the Snyders will eventually find their way back. It's just what they do. And watching them get there is pure magic.

Meanwhile:
--This if the first time in the history of this column that I'm truly baffled by one of the characters' behavior. And there have been some crazy behaviors in Oakdale. (Hello Barbara and Hal.) This time, it's Emily. What happened to her? While she's always been the town bad girl, she was never homicidal. Now, she's torturing Dusty, by withholding food and water, and threatening to murder him daily. And she's so desperate to make Paul love her she pulled off a jailhouse wedding. It's not a good sign when the wedding vows include the words "Sometimes, I think you're disturbed." Yeah, well, I couldn't agree more about Emily. Disturbed doesn't seem to cover it anymore.

--What do you guys think of Jade? I haven't made up my mind yet about her. I didn't like her as a good girl. It's yet to be determined if she'll be a delicious bad girl we love to hate or just a one-note villain.

--If stress can trigger a kidney infection in Luke, he'd better leave town. Pronto. This is Oakdale after all, the stress capital of the world. And if he's getting ready to come out of the closet, I'm assuming he's going to be stressed.

--Will and Gwen finally made an adult decision. Kudos to Gwen for convincing Will to stay with Hal, so the teens could finish school. It was great to see them hanging out with Casey and Maddie and acting like kids again.

--Maddie's sitcom fantasies were hilarious. I especially loved "The Munsonters" and "Happy Oakdale Days." And poor Henry even had to dress in drag in "I Love Katie." Good stuff.

--Way to go Katie. Helping Nick was a good move. Mike would be proud. If Nick is going to stick around, he needs a friend. Considering Katie barely acknowledges Henry anymore, I guess she needs one, too.

--Is Simon returning to Oakdale? I know. I know. I've been hoping for that for so long that I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I read this tidbit in the "Soap Opera Weekly" newsletter: "ETC. Watch out, Mike and Katie! Could Paul Leyden be returning to ATWT as Simon? Also, look for a recast Lucy to hit Oakdale this summer." I'm not sure what to make of that blurb. Is it wishful thinking, a rumor or a done deal?

--If a recast Lucy is hitting town, Dusty and Jen may have a rocky future. Just when I thought Jen might get a break, it seems there's no end in sight for this tortured gal.

Best Lines of the Week:
(Meg berates Henry for his part in ratting her out to the authorities and questions him about his partner in crime.)
Meg: "Where's Emily?"
Henry: "Oh, she's upstairs planting more evidence in your room. This time we're going to try to frame you for the Canyon River murders. I think, eventually, something's going to stick."
(Later, Meg accuses Emily of blackmailing Henry in order to get him to do her dirty work.)
Henry: "Maybe I just have a burning desire to see justice served."
Meg: "Yeah, right. Your only burning desire is to make it to the cocktail hour."

Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops reader Frankie)
"Oh Jennifer. My heart is broken. We knew it was coming, but when Jack walked out on Carly, I just lost it. They are the best couple ever, and it was so hard to see them break-up. However, I have to say that I agree with Jack. Carly just doesn't get it. She has lied her way through Oakdale since the day she arrived; and even when it has cost her everything, she still tries to justify her actions. But, in spite of her behavior, I have to say that like Jack, I still love her. She is my favorite soap character. I'm hoping this will be a wake up call for Carly. It would be great if the writers would take this opportunity to get her into therapy and let her deal with all her "stuff". Either way, I will be glued to my TV, with baited breath, waiting to see how this plays out."

(From Two Scoops reader Lance)
"The residents of Oakdale should rejoice that Det. Jack Snyder is back on the job full time. Jack solved the Kasnoff case in about 24 hours and will have Anatoli and his buddies in jail soon. That would cause another problem though, because the Oakdale PD only seems to have two jail cells. With Hal, Margo, and Nick on the force I guess they don't need a lot of holding cells."

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