Dead men tell no tales

Someone connected with Delia's sad fate lived...and someone died? The mystery of Jill's music box continued. And a not-so-friendly face returned in the nick of time to free a loved one. To find out more, read this week's Two Scoops.

Now that January 30 has come and gone, hopefully, a turn of fortune awaits us in the near future that will bring hope and promise to some of our favorite characters on our most beloved soap. As the Olympics approach, we can be reminded that The Young and the Restless has continued to break barriers, transcend limits, and reach new levels in excellence and achievement in providing television entertainment. While change appears to be on the horizon, fans can still look for a brighter future for the characters and the actors, who always seem to "go for the gold."

The biggest change for me was, of course, for Billy Miller to "pass the torch" of the role of Billy Abbott to David Tom. (See what I did there -- passed the torch? Clever, right?) Actually, I was rather relieved that we did not see Mr. Tom as Billy on January 31 after watching the scenes on the 30th that were filled with such emotional turmoil brought about by the powerhouse performances from Billy Miller as Billy and Michael Muhney as Adam. Honestly, their portrayals were electrifying, and I personally was afraid to look away from my television even for one smidgeon of a second. You could really feel for both Billy and Adam as they each tried to explain the depths of despair that they had sunk to after learning of the death of little Delia. It was truly heartbreaking!

I think the actor who surprised me the most was Michael Muhney. Or should I say the character, Adam Newman. I really can't remember seeing so much feeling from a guy who normally had been able to just roll with the punches. Adam honestly looked remorseful, even as he explained to Billy the wrongs that he had committed, which, of course, did not include deliberately plowing down a young girl. Adam was surely to blame for covering up the truth once he learned that he was more than likely her hit-and-run driver. He had been unable to be honest enough to give Delia's parents the closure they needed of knowing what had happened to their daughter on that fateful night. That was the actual crime that Adam committed.

And Billy's moments of remembering his most cherished angel brought tears to my eyes as he also realized that he would never have any more memories to add as her father. The two actors brought out the best in each other for their performances, and I would not be surprised to see either or both rewarded with Daytime Emmy nominations or even wins. I knew that those final scenes between Billy and Adam would be riveting, and I was not disappointed. I miss both actors already! Y&R fan Patty expresses her sorrow:

So sorry to see both Billy & Adam leave as I believe they are/were the best actors on the show. The timing for casting a new Billy is terrible as he's being replaced before we know the outcome of the car crash. I believe the door is open for the return of Adam but truly cannot imagine anyone else in that role. Not sure I will continue watching once these two are written out/recast. Sure hope the producers will read and take viewers' comments into consideration.

I will most certainly keep watching, but as I have already indicated, I was relieved that I got a little time to adjust before David Tom was finally shown as Billy Abbott. I needed that time to adjust and to say goodbye to the actor who had played my favorite character since Billy Miller had first joined the show. I like to think that I am always willing to accept change, and it is my intention to give Mr. Tom every chance in the world to show me what he can do with a character that he once played. I can't promise that Billy Abbott will remain my favorite character, but I do want to see what David Tom can do with him now.

So, even though Adam was very obviously remorseful about what had happened to Delia and continually stressed to Billy that he had never known that Delia was nearby after he had swerved to avoid the dog, most Genoa Citizens were ready to lynch Adam. Honestly, the way that each of them carried on, you would have thought that Adam had deliberately set out to mow down Delia with his black SUV. Adam never knew that Delia was there until long after the accident. And that's just what it was...a horrible, tragic accident. I don't understand the need for them to string him up for that.

However, should Adam have served prison time for covering up the tragedy and for destroying evidence? Absolutely! Both Billy and Chloe tormented themselves with not knowing what had actually happened that terrible night. Their torment may have been a little eased if they had known that Delia's killer had not hit her deliberately and that he had never known she was there. Should Adam have known? Maybe. But did he? No, and he admitted as much on the video he had made when he confessed to "the hit-and-run."

Who would have ever have thought that the most rational person about this whole sad event would be Anita? Chelsea's mother reminded her daughter that Adam had not deliberately hit Delia to die alone on that deserted, lonely road. Anita also realized that if Adam had not covered up the truth about that night, Chloe and Billy would never have donated Delia's corneas to Connor, which would have left him blind. Anita even saw that Adam had not been selfish or evil -- he had just been scared. But that sure wasn't the way everyone else, except Jack, seemed to treat it all.

Of course, Chloe would have loved to have a front row seat to watch Billy kill Adam, but I guess that would be understandable, since she was Delia's mother. But others who were never fond of Adam, anyway, just seemed to use the tragedy as another reason to hate him. I was glad that Jack, at least, seemed willing to give the man that he had loved like a son the benefit of the doubt and only feared that Chelsea and Connor would suffer by guilt of association. And Chelsea acknowledged that she had seen that Adam was drowning in guilt and then admitted that she still loved him. No matter how much the Adam-haters spin it, Adam did not "murder" Delia. He accidentally killed her. He did not have evil in his heart or the intent to kill at the time of the accident.

Okay, so what happened after the car crash? Well, the car exploded, of course, while a person was still in the car. And we all know (including Y&R fan Patty) that the person must have been Adam, especially after we saw Billy (now being played by David Tom, as Peter Bergman so proudly announced) crawl through the door, left hand still bandaged up (good job on continuity, gang), to Victoria. Paul told Nick and later Jack that there had been an eyewitness, but do we really need him to tell us what we already know -- that Adam was the man trapped in the vehicle? Nah! Plus, Jack recognized the watch and knew who it belonged to. Adam, of course. Y&R fan Ellen comments:

I will be very happy when the Billy/Delia/Adam saga has ended. From the beginning I have found the entire storyline just...sad. And really Victoria?? Who didn't laugh when she said, "how could Adam do this to his sister?!" So NOW she sees Adam as a sibling? That's a first...

Yes, Jack recognized Adam's watch, but does that really mean that Adam is dead? Come on, this is a soap opera. The saga may not have ended just yet. You know that somehow, some way, Adam probably made a miraculous escape just before the explosion. Of course, he may need plastic surgery for the burns, which would take time to heal.

In Soapland, Adam could very well make a return appearance to Genoa City down the road...with a different face, of course. We just may see Adam again with a smarmy grin, quoting Mark Twain, "The report of my death was an exaggeration." I would not be surprised. And in fact, a bloody left hand wearing a wedding ring indicated that might just be the case. So, who was the person in Adam's wrecked SUV? Did he get out at the last minute?

I am aware that quite a few fans have indicated that they would stop watching Y&R after January 30, as Y&R fan Rose states:

This is indeed a sad day for me. I just removed Y&R from my DVR and your link from my favorites. I checked in with you weekly or more, but now it is time to let go because of the bad writing and the characters I care about leaving Y&R, i.e. Michelle Stafford, Billy Miller, the death of Mrs. C and now Michael Muhney. Too much pain in watching the remaining characters I like. Victor must change his heavy-handed acting or many more viewers will leave. The writing must improve for the characters and the story lines. I feel sorry for the remaining actors who have no interesting story lines. Maybe it's the direction as well. Something has definitely changed to make the show and story lines laughable. Someone at Y&R PLEASE wake up before it's too late. Y&R RIP or grow up.

I sincerely hope that fans do not give up on Y&R or any other soap because a favorite actor or actress leaves the show for whatever reason. Our beloved actors do leave from time to time, and most of the time, their departure is to further their careers. We certainly can't fault them for that. And it also doesn't mean that another actor cannot fill their role. In fact, another actor could even possibly turn around and make the role his own. It happens quite often. Y&R fan Timothy agrees:

I have to laugh at "Fans" who vow to quit watching Y&R because of an actor leaving or a story line that is unacceptable. Here is some free advice to the weary, YOU WILL NEVER QUIT WATCHING! Soaps are a drug, a Ho Ho, a piece of chocolate cake! Yes, you want to drop 10 pounds and vow to NEVER have another piece of chocolate but just like a classic shouting match between Victor and Jack, you find yourself emptying out a half a bag of Dove chocolates. It's ok, I miss Kay, Adam, Billy, Phyllis too but I have faith that the big picture will come into focus and we will find a whole new reason to be excited. Remember Terry Lester as Jack, wow, he was great! He moved on and Peter Bergman stepped in and I cannot imagine another guy playing Jack. Be hopeful!

I totally agree with you, Timothy! (Well, except for maybe the "laugh at" part.) The example that immediately comes to my mind of a recast actress who took over a role and made it her own was Tamara Braun (whom I met at a Mt. Pleasant, MI, soap event) who was recast as Carly on General Hospital after multi-Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Sarah Joy Brown, decided to leave the soap. Tamara made the role of Carly her own, and the fans accepted her. Then lightning struck, and it happened again with Carly's current actress, Laura Wright. If Adam returns in the form of a recast actor, I am more than willing to give him a shot. Magic could happen again. You just never know.

And David Tom got some great material to start out with when he attempted to describe to Paul and Victoria what happened with Adam that night. I have to admit that Mr. Tom did a commendable job showing his anguish as Billy explained how he had wanted to make Adam hurt and had wanted to kill him for taking Billy's darling little girl away from him. Billy told Paul of the crash and of walking to the main road, where a trucker had picked him up. Funny thing, though...he left out the part where he and Adam had wrestled with the gun, which had ended up causing the crash. Maybe he feared being arrested?

And sure enough, Paul stated that Billy could be brought up on charges of kidnapping and leaving the scene of an accident but said that he would not file charges at that time. Victoria was aware of the gun but kept quiet. However, later in the hospital, Billy led her to believe that there was nothing else to know about the gun. Secrets are swirling around Victoria, and she will be blindsided when they all start to come out.

And speaking of those secrets, Kelly felt that she had to see Billy in the hospital, and Victoria was actually glad to see her. Boy, Victoria is being so nave about Billy and Kelly, but at least Stitch -- excuse me, Ben -- was suspicious and guessed that they had slept together. Stitch realized that Kelly had used Billy to cover up her pain but knew that her pain would never go away. Stitch is doing what he can to protect Victoria, but it may not be enough. My guess is that he will be the one to give Victoria comfort once the truth comes out. And you know it will. It always does.

I had to feel for Chelsea when Jack, aided by Victor, revealed to her that Adam had probably died at the scene of the explosion. But I was totally flabbergasted when, after Jack was clearly relieved upon hearing that Billy was alive at home, Victor actually showed some compassion toward Chelsea when, with a simple nod of his head, he reminded Jack of her sorrow. Of course, dear Vic was aware that Chelsea had no one left (well, Anita...okay, practically no one) which made her rather easy pickings. The road was clear for Victor to move forward and to declare that Chelsea and Connor would never be alone because they were both Newmans. Victor sure did not waste any time!

And despite warnings from both Sharon and Jack, Chelsea really appeared to be listening to Victor's offer to build her a house next to the stables on the Newman Ranch. Is she crazy? Sharon was right -- this is the last thing that Adam would want. In fact, it's the very thing that Adam was trying to protect Chelsea and Connor from. Jack should be the one giving them safe haven, not Victor. Jack needs to protect them on Adam's behalf.

Now, what else happened this week? Oh yes, the latest developments of Michael, Lauren, Fen, and a very-much-alive Carmine Basco. It seems that the FBI had arranged to fake Carmine's death to put him into the Witness Protection Program in exchange for Carmine turning state's evidence again Womack. But, of course, Carmine couldn't help himself and sent creepy gifts to Lauren because he couldn't get over his obsession with her, which is how Michael figured out that Carmine was still alive. Apparently, Michael does still have some smarts, since he was able to deduce it after learning that the crime scenes photos went missing along with the medical examiner. Okay.

At least, Michael was able to force Carmine to make a video to get Fen off the hook for Carmine's murder so that Fen could go free. How did he force Carmine, you ask? (Or not.) Michael related that Carmine's incentive would be for Michael not to tell Womack where Carmine was located. Pretty good, Michael. Now that Fen is free, does that mean that this storyline could finally be over? Y&R fan Dayze wants to know too:

I knew Carmine was alive, but how stupid for Michael to go and confront him all alone, does he never learn???? Now, if only, this predictable, boring storyline be put to rest once and for all ASAP!!!!

Wow, that's a very good point, Dayze! Lauren even reminded us that Carmine had tried to kill both her and Michael in the past, so that was rather crazy that Michael would confront him alone. What was he thinking? Oh yeah, that nothing would happen to him, of course. I mean, Carmine wasn't the least bit threatening. Maybe this was just a quick way to resolve the whole thing. We can only hope.

At a Delia Project planning meeting in the Athletic Club, after discussing Jack's plight concerning Adam, Neil declared that Hilary's slate had officially been wiped clean as far as he was concerned. Really? It doesn't take much to wipe a slate clean in Neil's eyes, I guess. Devon invited Hilary for dinner, and she turned him down. My guess is that Devon is more than just a little smitten with her, but somehow, I don't think that Hilary sees Devon in quite that way. I tend to believe her sights are set more on Mr. Jack Abbott. And that appeared to be the case when she later comforted Jack over the loss of his niece and Adam.

Luckily, Devon didn't cry too much over Hilary, though, since he was busy offering to fund the Delia Project himself (after refunding Adam's money) so that the children of the community could still benefit from its goals. I can't say that I blame Chloe for not wanting the project to be funded by her daughter's killer, especially since the money had only been a way to ease his conscience. The Delia Project, or whatever its new name will be, can continue to be a way to honor Delia's memory. Still, don't we all miss Delia?

Thank goodness Jack also remembered Jill and felt that she should hear about Billy and the explosion. But where on earth has Jill been? Has she been handcuffed to the bed all this time? If so, she must surely be getting a little stiff by now. You know...I hate to even mention this, but every time I see a scene like this, I can't help but wonder what a character in that kind of situation does for potty breaks. I mean, a soap character can be locked up, chained up, or in Jill's case, handcuffed in one spot for days at a time with no bathroom in sight. I know that we are supposed to have "a suspension of disbelief" while watching soaps, but I just can't help thinking about that.

But, whew, what a relief! A no-longer-handcuffed Jill returned home with a supposedly loving Colin in tow. This is the storyline that I predicted a couple of weeks ago had potential to be fun and to possibly be an adventure if handled correctly. There certainly was humor as Jill described their loving reunion as flashbacks showed an entirely opposite account of their story. These segments contained so many humorous references. From Colin announcing to Cane, "It's Daddy," to Jack referring to Colin as a "pond scum" criminal, they had me laughing right along. What a nice relief to be able to laugh instead of cry for a change.

Although Jill claimed that she and Colin had rekindled their love, we saw that Jill had actually declared that she wanted Colin "drawn and quartered" because she still hated him. When Jill told her loved ones that the sparks had been flying, she wasn't kidding! Only not necessarily in the loving, romantic way she maintained. Come to find out, Colin was determined to marry Jill, which would make him "the happiest bloke on earth." I thought that line was hysterical! Colin then revealed that he needed to stay in the country, as he handed her a prenuptial agreement to sign, giving him 50% of everything Jill owned. Jill wasn't too worried, though, since she was "dead broke."

Jill, you should be very worried because I have a feeling that there is more to that music box than what meets the eye. She said, "Colin, our marriage is worth about as much as this piece of junk Katherine left me." But I am not so sure about that, since the music box is probably worth more than what she thinks. The way that her new hubby, Colin, practically drooled over the musical item, that appeared to be true.

In the meantime, Jill talked to Leslie about having Colin deported, but Leslie advised that since he was married to a U.S. citizen, that would be difficult. Jill then decided on an annulment, so she ran to Colin, who bartered with her to work together in figuring out the mystery of the music box in exchange for them remaining married. So, there still is a chance for her to have that grand adventure that Katherine had wished for her. But what is the mystery to this little musical gem? I have to admit that I am intrigued and can't wait to see more on this story. And I truly hope that it is an adventure. Please, continue to keep this story light-hearted, writers. So far, this has been fun!

Wasn't it so touching that Summer still felt guilty for Chelsea's miscarriage as she remembered that she had, at least, admitted that she had caused it. Unlike Adam, who was too cowardly to ever own up to what he had done. Well, except for the videotape, which really doesn't count. Oh, and when Billy forced him to at gunpoint. Yes, I would say that Summer had been the more mature, responsible adult here.

After Summer worried and wondered about who she really was, Noah suggested that she give counseling a try. Of course, she told Noah about the person in the park who had handed her his business card and who had offered to be her life coach. But later, Summer talked to Sharon, whom Summer felt she trusted. Wait until Summer finds out that Sharon had something to do with Phyllis falling down the stairs! After Summer revealed that she no longer wanted to model as a career, Sharon advised her, "When you follow your heart, you can't go wrong." Wow, that's what Phyllis used to tell Summer. Of course, she did. Let's pile the guilt on, shall we?

How weird was it though that Sharon could actually touch and feel Cassie?! And then later, she saw Cassie again on the elevator at Jabot? I also am wondering what is happening to her. That seems to cross the line from delusional to what -- over-the-top crazy? Could Sharon's guilt run so deep that her subconscious has her believing that Cassie is a physical presence? Or is Cassie really alive and had only returned to aid her mother while she was dealing with her mental illness? But that's crazy! Oh...I guess that would put us back at Sharon possibly being insane then. Or at the very least, feeling extremely guilty!

Later, Summer ran into Ian Ward, who claimed that his area of expertise was in helping young people and then insinuated that he was her destiny. I'm telling you, this is not good. You know that Ian Ward had "a thing" for the young girls in the past, and I am sure that Summer was just the morsel to whet his appetite. Plus, she is Nikki's granddaughter to boot. How much more perfect could she be for Ian in his eyes? Run far, far away, Summer!

Oh, my gosh, right when Noah was ready to trust Courtney again, he saw her giving some strange guy money in the park! But then he observed that the man was in handcuffs! What?! Could Courtney be an undercover cop? Is that the secret that she and Alex share? And sure enough, that's the case. Apparently, she is Noah's age and only pretended to be a student in high school. Wow, I had the impression that she and Summer had been friends for years and years. Seems like I was mistaken. Courtney even has a black belt. Hey, that may come in handy, since she's an undercover cop. Tee hee.

Even though Courtney swore that her love for Noah wasn't pretend, Noah felt that the girl he had fallen in love with did not exist. Even though Noah claimed that Courtney was a stranger to him, I think that once Noah has time to think about it, he will realize that she had to keep her job a secret. You can't really be an undercover cop if everyone knows about it. That would rather defeat the whole purpose, wouldn't it?

Abby was crazy in thinking that she could "defuse" Mariah by inviting her to coffee at Crimson Lights. Tyler saw that, too, but at least Mariah was a no-show. However, later, Tyler called Mariah and said that he would meet her at her hotel room. What is going on here? He apparently has been talking to Mariah behind Abby's back, which cannot be a good thing. More secrets, more lies, all to get tangled up in a web filled with "nasty stunts." Oh well, at least Leslie ran into the young couple at Crimson Lights to give them her support.

In fact, Leslie seemed to be everywhere except where she was supposed to be, which was at a meeting with her wedding planner, David Tutera. Poor Neil, having to cover his discomfort and embarrassment that his fiance couldn't take time to plan her own wedding. It sure seems like David was right when he asked if they were looking at the wedding date taking place in early spring...late fall...New Year's Eve 2015...2020? Leslie sure seemed to be dragging her feet. And planning her wedding appeared to be pretty much the last on her long list of priorities.

When Leslie finally met Neil in the park, she admitted that she had never desired a dream wedding as a child and, in fact, had never even wanted to get married her entire life. But then Leslie revealed that she loved Neil so much that she was willing to marry him anyway and gleefully stated that she was all in for any wedding plans moving forward. So, David Tutera, schedule those stilt walkers and contortionists. Get out those magenta, teal, and black swatches and order those pink corsets for the wedding party. The wedding is still on! And that's one wedding I would love to go to. It sounds like fun! (I hope my invitation's in the mail.)

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

I did enjoy Michael's comment to Carmine, "They say dead men don't tell tales. But I'm sure you've got one hell of a story to get off your chest." And Michael was right. Carmine did!

Noah was so right on when he told Summer that Victor always blamed everything bad on Jack -- from global warming to the Packers losing the playoffs to not being able to find a parking spot at the mall. My mom agreed, "I loved what Noah said about Victor blaming Jack for everything today -- that was funny. And so true!! Michelle and I were laughing about that!" If something horrible happens, look at Jack Abbott. He is at fault...in Victor's world, that is.

I loved it when Esther described Adam as having "cold eyes like a shark" and then warned never to trust a guy with thin lips. That Esther can sure put things so simply and eloquently.

It is always so enjoyable to watch scenes from the past, and the ones with Victor showing a young Adam the elements of soccer and boxing were fun to watch. But at the same time, they were also sad, knowing what had evolved later between the estranged father and son. Victor did pretty darned well kicking that soccer ball around. Just think...he could have had a career manipulating a soccer ball rather than all of his family and friends. But then, Y&R would have been a much more boring soap.

I found it interesting that Nikki even voiced to Jack that she kept hoping that Victor would change, even as she defended him by pointing out that Victor worshipped and adored his family like Jack did. Still, there's adoring and then there's manipulating and controlling. A big difference.

How odd that Avery said almost lovingly to Nick, "You don't fool me, Newman." She really shouldn't be talking to him like that anymore, if she loves Dylan like she claims.

In a storyline filled with so much humor, Jill had one of the funniest lines of the week. After Colin bartered with her to remain married in exchange for solving the riddle of the music box, Jill expressed, "Ahh...marriage by blackmail. It's just a childhood dream come true."

Cane sure wasn't buying it that Colin was a changed man due to the love of a good woman. Colin deserved Cane's punch as Cane demanded that his father drop his bogus act and that he stay away from Cane's family. Funny how Colin kept blaming Genevieve for any problems in the past. His memory was just a wee bit flawed.

One terrific result of David Tom returning to the role of Billy Abbott is that we can now see flashbacks of scenes between characters such as Jill and Billy. I love watching these types of clips from the past, since we can be reminded of a younger Billy as Mr. Tom had portrayed him back then.

I honestly got a little teary-eyed when Chelsea told Jack that Adam had loved him -- because it was true.

Oh, my gosh, don't tell me that Sharon is actually going to have female friends again. Both Hilary and Chelsea? Wow, Sharon hasn't had a real female friend since Dru.

Uh, oh...what's going on with Nikki? She told Victor that she had a doctor's appointment, but when she returned home, she looked as if she was dealing with some very bad news. Could it be her health, or was there more unpleasantness involving Ian Ward?

No matter what road Y&R chooses to take, it appears that Ashley may not be along for the ride, after all, at least not for now. As announced on Soap Central, Eileen Davidson will return to Days of our Lives as Kristen to provide more craziness. While that's terrific news for DAYS, it's not-so-great news for Y&R. Hopefully, the door will remain open for Ashley to return in the future. We will always welcome her back to Genoa City.

As demonstrated in the past 25 years by being the number one soap, The Young and the Restless will continue to strive towards excellence as the cast members adopt a spirit similar to those shown by the brave athletes in the Olympics. We, the fans, should all unite to embrace that glorious spirit!

Until next time, please stay tuned. And cheer for your favorite Olympians as they strive for victory and honor.

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.