This was a busy -- and shirtless -- week for the citizens of Genoa City as one man discovered he had a son, while his own relationship with his father shattered; a couple broke up instead of getting married, leaving the bride in a downpour while still in her wedding dress; another man realized the blissful life he led was built on a lie; while another tried to find the son she gave up decades ago, confiding in her friend instead of her husband.
For once, the men were the voice of reason as two couples, Nick and Avery, and Dylan and Chelsea broke things off. After realizing Avery would rather help Dylan on their wedding day, instead of making it to the altar on time, Nick told her she was still in love with Dylan and should take the time to sort out her feelings. I believe Avery loves Nick, but Nick was right that she can't deny the love and compassion she still has for Dylan. Avery shouldn't marry another man when she hasn't fully moved on from her former love. Nick was perceptive enough to finally see that -- but hasn't been able to see it in his own love life in the past. Nick told Avery she's living in denial. "He's the only thing that can keep you from me," he said.
Although Avery kept telling herself Nick was the man she wanted to be with, the week started and ended with Avery comforting Dylan -- first when he showed up on her doorstep on the day of her wedding, and afterwards in the cabin when Dylan handed Connor over to Adam, the biological father. Avery and Dylan are probably the two most decent people in Genoa City, and maybe it's time they accept the inevitable and try to make it work as a couple again. I see genuine and unconditional love between these two, and it's clear they would do anything for each other.
After finding out the lies Chelsea's house of cards was built on, Dylan said he wanted a divorce. Chelsea pleaded with him that they could still be a family and that they could fight for custody of Connor together against an irate Adam. "Of course he's angry," said Dylan in response. "You kept a kept a man's child away from him."
It was sad to see a once happy couple break up, but the relationship couldn't have gotten very far without Chelsea's lie catching up to her. When Dylan said he wanted a divorce, Chelsea said, "We would be erasing everything we've had." It's true they shared a happy life together and they were both devoted to one another. There was a balance there of love and respect, unlike Chelsea's relationship with Adam. But it could only last so long.
Learning that Connor is not his biological son has brought out many more shades to Dylan, which was welcomed. Steve Burton has the acting chops, and it's nice to finally see him play more than a happy sap. This week we saw Dylan portray confusion, anger, and pain after finding out Connor wasn't his son and the life he was building with Chelsea was based on a lie. I have to say I was sad for a moment that seeing a united Chelsea, Dylan, and Connor was just a dream Chelsea had. When she woke up, Dylan was still missing with her son, and Adam was doing everything he could to find the missing baby.
I'm glad, however, that Adam found out sooner rather than later that Connor is his son. Sometimes soaps have a tendency to drag out the "Who's the Daddy?" game for a few months, and I'm happy the audience knew early on it was Adam's baby instead of keeping the viewers guessing.
Now that Adam knows he's Connor's father, he will stop at nothing to get custody of his son. He became that threat-spewing, controlling person Chelsea was afraid of, which is why she lied and said Dylan was the father in the first place. But I do believe that if Chelsea had told Adam off the bat that he was the father, then maybe they would have had an actual chance to come together as a family. The issue wasn't that there wasn't love between these two; it was that Adam's priority was fixated on Newman.
But now, after months of lying and denying, Chelsea is feeling Adam's wrath. Michael Muhney, by the way, acted superbly this week as someone who has just found out he has a son and that his son has suddenly gone missing. The scene between Avery and Adam, when he demanded to know where his son was, was a powerful one. Adam is acting exactly how Victor would if he were in the same situation -- powerful, goal-oriented, and unrelenting until he gets what he wants.
Victor really picks and chooses his kids when it's convenient for him. As soon as he decided Adam betrayed him with the "fishhook" silent investor, which ended up being Jack, he quickly got Victoria back on the saddle during their talk at Nick's wedding. Victoria was eager to get back into Daddy's good graces, a position she wants no one else to have. Now that Victor has decided to punish Adam for his betrayal, he is moving forward with plans to oust both Adam and Jack, which led to another great scene at the Athletic Club between these two heavy-handed and power-hungry characters.
"I know you're furious with Adam for pulling off what you couldn't," said Jack to Victor. "He got Newman back." While at first I appreciated Jack's gesture to go to Victor and assure him Adam only wanted to make his father proud of getting Newman back into the hands of its rightful owners, I soon realized Jack's offer of having someone buy him out of Newman came with a price: "I walk away from Newman, you walk away from Summer," said Jack. There were strings -- which Summer overheard and quickly become distraught over.
Luckily Nick came and told both Jack and Victor off, and a vulnerable Summer hugged the man who raised her -- much to Jack's chagrin, as he overheard while he was lurking in the shadows. I can understand Jack's frustration of wanting to make up for lost time with his daughter, but Summer can't erase 18 years of memories with her father and will naturally gravitate towards him when she's hurting.
Summer has really had a rough year, to say the least. She was responsible for the car accident that caused Chelsea to lose her baby; she was told the only father she ever knew wasn't her father, after all; she fell in love, only to realize it was with her biological brother; her mother has been in a coma from a mysterious accident; and she's in a tug of war between mortal enemies Jack and Victor. Although people are warning both Victor and Jack to give Summer her space, including a sharp-tongued Kyle to Jack: "You're no better than he is," they're both ignoring everyone and continuing on with their constant warring.
Maybe Victor should spend more time with Nikki. However, she seems to be relying more and more on Paul to help her find her long-lost son. Despite Paul urging Nikki to tell Victor that she's searching for her son, the advice is falling on deaf ears. While I appreciate the friendship between Paul and Nikki and I really enjoyed the flashback of them from the 70s, feathered hair and all, Nikki needs to be communicating with her husband about her search for the son she gave up for adoption decades ago. Nikki and Victor claim they have this magnetic, supportive love but why is she confiding in her close friend over her husband?
This seems like a pattern between them. Whenever Nikki has a problem (drinking, MS, now the search for her son), she turns to everyone but Victor. Until she decides to tell him, however, Paul remains by her side, and they traveled to all the churches in Winnetka, Illinois, as Nikki encountered one road block after another -- the records from the year of the baby's birth were destroyed, the attorney who did the adoption was dead, and Sister Claire suffered from bouts of dementia. But Nikki was able to get a few morsels from Sister Claire, including that the baby was a boy and was adopted by someone in the congregation.
Let's see what happens as the search continues and Paul and an emotional and vulnerable Nikki spend more time together. I do hope that the writers don't try to write another romantic attempt between Paul and Nikki. They've done it before, and she left the stable, supportive, and decent Paul for Victor.
Like Sharon, I also wish she and Nick would get back together. Not only because I'm a sucker for first loves but because I remember when this couple was once so connected, happy, and strong. Over the years, however, the writers have made sure to keep these two apart -- no matter how much the viewers were taunted, especially with the birth of Faith. It seems these two will only ever be together again in Sharon's mind, which has been off since she went off her medication.
An alert Noah caught on and questioned his mother when he saw the bottle full of pills. He's also catching on to her bizarre answers to his questions. When he asked Sharon if Nick said anything to Sharon after the wedding was called off, she responded, "He didn't have to. Your father and I have a way of communicating without words."
It was high time Sharon had a conversation with Dr. Watkins, and I'm glad they ran into each other at Crimson Lights. The conversation they had gave viewers more insight into Sharon's thought process about Nick and why she went off her medication. She told Dr. Watkins the medication made her feel cloudy and unlike her usual self.
I like that the writers are making an effort to write Sharon's bipolar condition realistically. It takes time for patients to adjust to their medication and the dosage and it's good this is being written into the storyline. I was once close with someone who was on medication for bipolar disorder, and he would complain of the same things: that he didn't feel like himself and always had a hazy and cloudy feeling overpowering him. Dr. Watkins gave Sharon the reality check she needed about Nick and a lower dosage of her medications in an attempt to get her back on them.
One couple who is back on track, however, is Lauren and Michael, who entered the Chancellor Mansion, holding hands and looking just like the loving couple they've always been. Jill ruined the calm of the moment by telling Michael she wanted to contest the will because Katherine "left her estate to some kid she's known less than three years." Lauren was the voice of reason and said there must be more to the music box, and Michael uncovered that underneath the box it said Switzerland. Jill is now set to go find out what else Katherine left for her after her death.
I enjoyed the conversation between Neil and Devon when they were in the sauna. Neil's been a good father to Devon and Lily, giving them sound advice but keeping a safe distance from tangling himself too much in their lives. I can understand why Katherine left Devon $2.4 billion dollars (I liked that he described it as a "generous inheritance.") Devon's always been levelheaded (except for a couple of indiscretions, but his record's clean in comparison to other Genoa City characters) and has never let money sway him or his decisions. His luck has certainly changed since he came to Genoa City, and he hasn't forgotten about his past.
Although Dru was the one who fought for Devon to live with them, Neil quickly looked at Devon as his own son and has been leading him on the right path since. When Neil asked what Devon was going to do with his inheritance, Devon said he wanted to "pay it forward." I respect Devon's decision to do good with the money he's received, and I also appreciated Neil's advice to Devon about still having goals despite the money he fell into. "It's important to have a focus," he said. "Something to strive for."
After Neil left, Mason came into the sauna, doing Hilary's bidding by finding out what Devon was going to do with his inheritance. Sharp and quick-witted Devon called Mason out on his unwanted "financial advice."
I feel like Mason's character has been having an identity crisis since he first came on the Genoa City scene as Adam's assistant at Newman Enterprises. His morality is questionable, as he fed Victor information when Adam was in charge and is now in cahoots with Hilary just to get her into bed. When he was fired, he bounced around and ended up as a model and now partner in crime for Hilary, who has no idea Cane and Lily have been onto her.
It's nice that for once it's not Cane's shady past or family drama that's causing problems. I like that he's supportive of Lily and her family and is willing to do anything to help solve the Hilary/blogger mystery. He came one step closer when he caught on that Hilary tried to drug him, and he duped her instead by faking being passed out and recording her conversation with Mason. This storyline hasn't held my interest from the beginning, and I hope it will either take an interesting turn or be laid to rest.
A few other things to note: I'm enjoying watching a friendship develop between Kevin and Alex, who I believe is underutilized on the Genoa City scene. He's attractive and funny and his character has flavor. It would be nice to pair him up with someone. Abby's already quickly moved on with Tyler; it'd only be fair to have Alex become romantically linked with someone too.
This week's episodes really showcased the abs of the males in Genoa City. Devon, Neil, Cane, Mason, and Noah each had a scene where they donned their six packs. Perhaps another way to keep the viewers glued to their TVs? Lastly, I like that the writers are having Katherine live on through the journeys she's sending Nikki and Jill on. Katherine's role was so influential that even in her afterlife, she is guiding her loved ones.
Do you think Avery and Dylan should give their relationship another try? Should Nikki come clean to Victor and tell him about the son she gave up for adoption? Do Adam and Chelsea have a shot at being a family again?
Thanks for reading and happy watching!
Taleen
