Curses, foiled again!

The return of a much-missed beloved and deceased child! (Or was it?) A secret one-night tryst revealed. And too many heroes...not enough villains. To find out more, read this week's Two Scoops.

In a triumphant week where we witnessed the thrill of victory in golden moments for the remarkable ice dancing champions, Davis and White, and for the United States snowboarding teams, unfortunately, many of our beloved Genoa Citizens saw the agony of defeat as Richard Womack held them captive in the Athletic Club ballroom during the charity benefit gala honoring Delia. We watched as our heroes made several failed rescue attempts, while the GCPD planned various strategies just outside in the lobby.

I have to admit that I enjoy this type of story because it brings the drama as it utilizes most of our beloved cast of characters. Who knew that all of those diamonds were hidden in that doll? Apparently, Womack and his thug did, which is why they attended the gala. I just hoped that Paul and his band of Keystone Kops, including the new Detective Harding, were more successful in saving the hostages than they were when they were investigating Delia's hit-and-run and Carmine's "murder." I don't think the captives had the necessary months and months to spare that the Genoa City police officers have, in the past, needed for their rescue attempts.

Our first heroic captive to take a shot at thwarting these dastardly villains (both of them) was, of course, Billy, which went so well, since he was still weak from the injuries suffered during his escapade with Adam. Billy was first pounded by a chandelier that Womack shot down then by a punch in the gut, also by Womack. Talk about a glutton for punishment. And it all went for naught, since the only thing Billy got for all of his efforts was to lie helplessly as he confessed to Victoria about his one-night stand with Kelly. Boy, Billy really is a glutton for punishment!

I think that every actress probably loves the type of scene that Amelia Heinle had as Victoria Newman Abbott, when Victoria yelled at Kelly, "You get your hands off my husband, you tramp!" That sure got the attention of everyone else in the room. I bet they even forgot that they were being held hostage for a moment. And not too long afterward, Victoria got to slap Kelly too. You go, girl! Who doesn't love watching a scene like that, especially since Kelly so definitely deserved it?

Jack also thought of attempting a daring rescue but was convinced not to take the chance after Billy's unsuccessful tries. I have to say that I love how all of the available women in Genoa City have now found Jack to be a desirable catch. It's about time! Both Hilary and Kelly seemed to have Jack in their sights, and he could eventually be on Chelsea's radar also. Jack Abbott is an eligible bachelor, and it's been pretty amazing that it's taken so long for the lovely ladies to take notice. What's the matter with them? I would have targeted him ages ago, if I were single.

Jack was able to secure an injured Chelsea's release from Womack when he bartered his private jet for her freedom. (My hero!) That should raise him a notch in Chelsea's eyes, I would think. I'm not sure that the news of Kelly's fling with Billy will go far with Jack, however, although that will probably help Hilary. But first Jack would have to get over his love for Phyllis, if she ever comes out of her coma. If that happens, Phyllis may just have a new look, since there have been rumblings of Michelle Stafford has already booked a new role. I'm not sure how true that is, but we may have to prepare ourselves for a new version of our favorite feisty redhead.

And sure enough, Jack was very disappointed to hear that Kelly had slept with Billy. Well, there's still Hilary and possibly Chelsea, Jack. Although I am not sure that Jack would pursue a lady that had once been the wife of his best friend. But then again, he thinks that Adam is dead. So, maybe...? No matter -- it was great to see Jack acting as a hero again as he fueled up his plane to rescue the hostages. And others also bravely tried to do their part as well.

Leslie offered to represent Womack and make a deal with the D.A., but Neil nixed the idea because he noted that Leslie wasn't bulletproof. Hey, Leslie's an attorney. That was about as heroic as it was going to get with her. But Neil, Devon, Tyler, Cane, and Lily had this crazy idea to distract Womack and his thug so that Tyler and Cane could clock them with champagne bottles. Too bad it didn't work.

Unfortunately, bigmouth Lily also chewed out Womack about her guests and champagne or some such nonsense, which definitely grabbed Womack's attention. So much so that he decided to keep Lily, after he let all of the other hostages go. Next time, Lily, you might want to just sit back in the corner and keep quiet. And since this is a soap, you know that there will probably be a next time.

Forever wanting to be the hero, Cane pleaded with Womack to take him rather than his beloved wife and the mother of his two children but Womack realized that the mouthy Lily would make a better hostage. (I could almost hear Cane singing, "Here I come to save the day!" Remember Mighty Mouse?) I mean, Lily had her family, and who really cared about Cane anyway? Well, that was Womack's reasoning anyway.

In an attempt to escape, Lily hit Womack's arm, and the gun went off. Lily screamed when she realized that Cane had been shot -- again! Don't you dare die, Cane! We don't need to have you return as a prodigal triplet that no one knew about. Although, since his twin, Caleb, had been a villain, maybe Cane's triplet brother could be named Cato and could be a wise and shrewd nerd. Maybe that would finally keep Cane from repeatedly getting shot.

But you know that Cane wouldn't let that piddly little bullet get him down. Not Super-Dad! Cane jumped Womack, and Colin leaped out with a gun pointing right at Womack. After he sent Cane and Lily to safety, Colin declared that he was dissolving his partnership with Womack in the heist because he was a tad upset that Womack had just shot his son. Go figure.

Poor Womack...I could almost picture him as a villain in a melodrama exclaiming, "Curses, foiled again!" Hey, that reminds me of the song, "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron," by the Royal Guardsmen. Maybe because I just heard it on the radio. Remember that old ditty? This classic hit even had follow-up songs such as "The Return of the Red Baron" and "Snoopy's Christmas." That floppy-eared dog could do everything!

Anyway, Colin's gun went off just as Paul and company finally rushed in through the dumbwaiter through Hilary's bathroom to find Womack's lifeless body on the floor. Yes, a dumbwaiter. Who knew? Paul took custody of the body. And of the diamonds -- all but one that is, which Colin had slipped into his coat pocket. Sneaky! So now everyone will look at Colin as a hero who rescued Cane in his time of need. Plus, he stopped the crook from getting away...only they will never know that Colin was the one who had planned the caper all along. Colin made sure of that when he killed Womack. Where's Snoopy when you need him?

Okay, who didn't know that Colin was the mastermind in this unfortunate heist? It was hardly a shock when Womack revealed that little tidbit earlier on. How can Jill not be suspicious -- but maybe she was. She did notice that Colin was enjoying himself at everyone else's expense. I found it interesting that Colin appeared to lose interest in the music box after locating the diamonds in the doll. Ahh...but when Colin and Jill were in the hospital to check on Cane and Billy, Colin alluded to the music box mystery once again.

In exchange for a kiss, Colin revealed that Katherine had stuck in a piece of paper for Jill to find, only Colin had removed it before the box was consigned. Colin then handed Jill a slip of paper with the name Rachel Berenson on it.. So, who is Rachel Berenson and what does she have to do with the music box and with Katherine and Jill? The mystery continues. Hurray!

I must admit that I am enjoying the banter between Jill and Colin. They bring a little humor into our lives, and couldn't we all use a few laughs? Even though Colin was very aware that his "hot chick" no longer trusted him, he still insisted that he wanted a romantic dinner with his new bride. I laughed when Jill gave him a bag of potato chips from the vending machine.

You know, even though Jill maintained that she did not love Colin and was immune to his charm, I have my doubts. I think that she could still be infatuated with him at the very least. And Colin had better beware. He may love our darling Jill more than he thinks. Love can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

At the hospital. Billy was hazy about what had happened at the gala, and I wasn't surprised. Jack had to explain that Billy had confessed in front everyone in the room. Poor Victoria! She not only felt betrayed that Billy had slept with Kelly but also by his continuing to lie to her about it. Good for her when she asked if the dirty deed had taken away Billy's pain. At least he realized that the act had only caused more hurt and pain. It was too late though.

Billy and Victoria's marriage seems to be veering off the tracks, and they may not survive his betrayal. And I wouldn't be too upset about that. Billy Miller and Amelia Heinle just oozed a sultry, sexy chemistry in any scene that they had together. David Tom's Billy seems to have more of a friendly companionship with his wife. I actually see more chemistry between Victoria and Stitch, who was there for her in the hospital. Could Stitch be in Victoria's future in a closer, more personal way?

In the meantime, while everyone else appeared to be in danger, Victor was doing his usual thing, which was scheming and conniving all for the love of his family -- well, as he always claimed anyway. Apparently, he had stumbled upon a dead ringer for Cassie, and it is this look-alike that Sharon has been seeing lately. So, that's why she could touch her. I get it. I guess this fake Cassie must be pretty broke because she didn't have any qualms about torturing Sharon for her own profit. And Victor does like to dish out the money if it means he can interfere in his family members' lives. Y&R fan Kelley declares:

Victor has really gone too far this time with this Cassie lookalike.? Who died and left him ruler of everybody? He needs to mind his own business and go find somewhere to spend all of that money......

Victor really has no problem doling it out if it means he can control any one of his children's lives. It's just a matter of which kid gets to be his target at the time. And the lucky winner this time is Nick! As hard as Nick has been trying to move on in a different direction from the Newman empire, Victor just can't let him go. Victor seems to think that he has to protect Nick because Nick is too dumb, nave, or helpless to fend for himself? At Nick's age? You would think that he would have a clue by now. And it's not like he doesn't know Sharon or is unaware of what she has done in the past. But, of course, Nick also understands that Sharon has a disease and that she is trying to help herself. Victor is not so empathetic. (I'll say!) Y&R fan Denise shares her views:

Victor is now unredeemable. He has done some truly revolting things in the last 5 years I have been watching, all of which have hurt or killed someone. But to use a young woman that looks like his dead granddaughter to torture Sharon HAS to be the worst. He loved Cassie. To use her memory to taunt Sharon is SICK. Especially since her downward spiral was initiated by the cruel way he used Sharon, a woman he had claimed to love like a daughter. The minute she disappointed him he tossed her out like garbage....I will leave if there are no consequences for Victor...I will never care a lick about his character again. If that is what the writers were going for they succeeded.

While I may agree with Denise, I have to say that love him or hate him, Victor Newman is a veteran of Y&R and has driven stories on this soap for many years. He can really bring the drama. Whether you are a fan that loves to hate him or one that just flat-out hates him, Victor is not a boring character and he tends to do things that keep viewers tuned in. In that regard, Eric Braeden very much does his job. One normally can't be ambivalent about Victor Newman, that's for sure. It just doesn't seem possible.

Ha, I had to laugh when Victor asked faux Cassie to not do irreparable damage to Sharon. Yeah, fake Cassie, drive Sharon out of her mind...just not too far out of her mind. I mean, really? And all the phony had to do was to "wear a pink sweater and scare the crap out of someone's mom"? I'll bet that was the easiest money she ever made. How can she justify to herself what she is doing, though? Doesn't she have a conscience? Maybe when she gets to know Sharon and Nick and learn more about their past, fake Cassie will switch sides? We can only hope.

Speaking of Nick and Sharon, they do seem to be getting a little bit closer, hmm? I had actually wanted them to reunite for quite a few years, that is, until the writers turned Sharon into a wacko. Okay, part of the time, I wanted Nick to break up Adam and Sharon, which would have also resulted in a split between him and Phyllis. But I admit that I am also a sucker for a good love story. Sharon and Nick fell in love at a young age and were together for years. A first love can create a powerful bond, and I had hoped that those two would eventually find their way back to each other. Y&R fan Lezlie agrees:

As far as Nick forgiving Sharon, give it time and I believe he will. In fact, I think he should. Nick broke up their marriage when he had an affair while Sharon was at her lowest ebb - during the death of her child. While he was hurting too, Nick did nothing to help Sharon and only provided her with more pain....Nick is far from blameless in this whole situation. Not that Sharon is completely innocent, but at least she has her bipolar illness as an excuse. Nick's only excuse is selfishness and always feeling entitled to everything. That's why Nick had a lot of nerve when he blamed Dylan when Avery left Nick at the altar, Nick has done far worse.

Yes, for whatever reason, Nick always seems to escape unnoticed in the blame for any failed relationships. It always seems to be the ladies' fault. Sharon, Phyllis, Avery. They were all to blame in everyone else's eyes. It's strange when you think about it. Maybe I should analyze this in the same style as Dr. Phil, which would be better than Dr. Ruth or Dr. Oz, no?

Nick, why are you blameless in all of your failed romances? Hmmm...let's see. You turned to Phyllis during your grief after Cassie died, leaving your wife, who was also drowning in sorrow, alone in her tears. That one's on you, buddy. And really, did you ever see Phyllis for the person that she truly was or did lust and sex blind you to her special kind of craziness that led to her lies and deceit? And Avery...oh please, all the signs were there once she discovered that Dylan was still alive. Her love for Dylan was still strong, no matter how much she denied it. Again, Nick, you didn't see what was right in front of you and were afraid to face the truth, right? Believe me, you are not totally blameless in all of it, no matter what Victor believes. Y&R fan Juliette adds her two cents worth:

My biggest problem is the Sharon character who was a fave for years. I am tired of the victimization storyline over and over so Nick can save her. This couple needs to be over for good. It is no good for someone with mental health issues to be in an unhealthy relationship with Nick and his family who so clearly dislike her. I can see them ending up like Nikki and Victor, a dysfunctional couple of the greatest magnitude. Great love relationships do not work in soapland, multiple weddings and breakups are the end product.

The funny thing is that Sharon and Nick probably have the healthiest relationship that they have ever had together, thanks to her being in therapy and on medication. Nick seems to see her as she is this time, and he wants to help her. And this time, he doesn't seem to be rescuing her (not yet, anyway) but instead is trying to help her stay healthy. But you know that won't last long, especially with the all-knowing Victor around.

In fact, Nick was such a gentleman that he offered to sleep on Sharon's couch, since Sharon was still terrified by the images of her daughter. Fake Cassie sneaked into the house and hid when Sharon came down with a quilt that had been Nick and Sharon's wedding gift. They then realized it was their anniversary. (So, that's the deep, dark secret! Ha, ha!) I loved it when they talked about their picture-perfect wedding, and the clips of those two on that special day were priceless. They were so young! I guess I still really like them as a couple. Y&R fan Cathy comments:

I was so happy to see the flashbacks yesterday of Nick and Sharon's wedding. I am really hoping that Nick and Sharon get back together. I think they are one of the few divorced couples that never got remarried. I cannot take another letdown with this show. If Nick and Sharon break up once the paternity issue comes out, I will be very disappointed.

The phony Cassie listened in as Sharon and Nick regretted their marriage had not been able to survive their darling daughter's death. They also knew that Cassie was looking down on them from heaven and would approve that they were very good friends. And fake Cassie heard it all. Is that girl heartless? How could she torment this couple after hearing what they went through after they lost their precious child? Y&R fan Elizabeth has a theory:

Would love it if the Y&R would soon find out that the girl playing Cassie's look-alike is that when Sharon had her baby girl she actually had twins and this girl is the other missing baby...

Hey, the circumstances following Faith's birth were certainly bizarre, so who's to say that another crazy situation didn't occur during the birth of Cassie. Her twin would certainly bring so many potential future storylines. True, the look-alike girl gig could work, too, but the twin angle could bring the emotional appeal for this couple that has already been through so much together.

Y&R fan Juliette should be gratified to know that Sharon even acknowledged that Nick had a habit of rescuing her in the past. But Sharon insisted that she wanted to be more independent and to get through "the rough edges" by herself. Sharon's doctor felt that her visions of Cassie were resulting from the struggle within herself of not wanting to let Cassie go. Hey, I said that weeks ago! Only, of course, that was before fake Cassie arrived on the scene. But you can be sure that the phony baloney daughter won't let Sharon even try to heal. Sharon discovered photos of Cassie plastered all over her house upon her return home. Shoot, that would be enough to freak me out!

Oh, my gosh, and then we have Chloe. I had mentioned several columns ago that Chloe should have taken Connor, which would have made things much more interesting at the time. However, the kidnapping might have been postponed due to Adam's sudden need to depart. But now we are back to Chloe's obsession over Connor, and she decided to take the tot for her own. I am glad to see that her total despair over the loss of her beloved Delia and her refusal to get help for her grief have not been ignored or forgotten.

So, Chloe was on the run to Paris with Connor, posing as the baby's mother, Chelsea. Little did "the real" Chelsea know that her baby had been kidnapped by the person who had claimed to be her very best friend in the world. A little thing like de-icing the plane delayed Chloe's departure, but the plane was finally cleared so that she and Connor could board. Hmmm...this must have been in between all of the arctic blasts and cold fronts that have continuously swept throughout the northern United States. Chloe really lucked out that her flight to Paris was not canceled. While the weather hasn't been kind to many areas, especially Atlanta, it certainly didn't hurt Chloe.

As Chloe and Connor sat on a plane, which seemed forever in taking off, Kevin tried to comfort Chelsea and stressed that Chloe would never hurt Chelsea's son. Victor also arrived to help comfort Chelsea. Yeah, comfort, right! Okay, he actually declared that he would find his grandson if it was the last thing he ever did! Now that sounds like our dear Victor. I had to laugh when Victor asked, "Do you know what pain it is to lose your child?" Seriously? This was from the guy who was tormenting a mother with a dead ringer of her deceased daughter. Wow, it sounds rather cruel when I put it that way, doesn't it?

But, of course, Victor had shown his love for Adam in so many ways when Adam was "alive." Right, I remember all of those ways. No, actually I don't. At least Victor did think to ask Chelsea about her passports, which, of course, were missing. So they knew that Chloe was taking Connor out of the country. Come on, guys, put two and two together, get four, and figure out that they might just be going to Paris. Eureka!

And, by golly, that's just where Chloe took Connor. Although Chloe may be crazy thinking that a town home that had not yet been renovated and contained none of the necessities was appropriate for a baby, at least she wasn't delusional in believing that Connor was her son. The one whose sanity may be called into question would be Chelsea for believing that Victor had kept Adam's secret that Adam had killed Delia to protect his family, not to get close to Connor. Chelsea must feel desperate and alone to let her guard down around Victor.

Once Victor and Chelsea got the address from the driver of a car that Chloe had hired in Paris, they tracked her down and arrived at her door. I can't imagine how Chloe will justify her actions. It's true that she thinks she is protecting Connor from Chelsea, but why? That has to be an excuse for Chloe to fill the hole in her heart resulting from Delia's loss. Chelsea has never done anything to harm her child. Chloe's actions could very well result in losing her best friend and making an enemy of Victor. Hopefully, Chelsea and Victor will understand the pain that Chloe has been dealing with (or not dealing with, in Chloe's case) and will forgive and help her. (Okay, the odds for that happening with Victor are probably astronomical!)

While Nikki dreamed of Ian Ward haunting her with the past, unbeknownst to her, Nikki's real nightmare was that Ian continued to get closer to her granddaughter, Summer. Wow, I rarely get to use the word "unbeknownst." And Summer seemed all too willing to have Ian...uh, I mean, John Darwin act as her life coach to give her the tools to find her path. I'm not sure that Ian knows about Summer's connection to Nikki, but once he finds out, Summer will become an even bigger attraction for him, and he will surely stick to her like glue. However, I found it rather ironic when Summer remarked to Faith, "Everyone deserves to find their dream." Ian is no dream. Just ask Nikki.

Nikki warned Dylan not to let his guard down when it came to Ian Ward, but she appeared to be doing that very thing. By keeping her focus on Dylan, she is being distracted from the true intentions of the very viper in her midst. You would think that she would remember how fond Ian is of young girls. Ian even said that Summer reminded him of someone he knew long ago. You knew that he meant Nikki.

Paul's description of Ian was so colorful and accurate: careful and methodical, drawing in his victims with his charm and his concern for their well-being until he has them where he wants them. Dead on! However, as a law enforcement officer, he was not allowed to help Dylan. So now Dylan and Nick will have to work together to protect Nikki from Ian without her knowing it? I guess sometimes you have to join forces with your enemy for the sake of your loved ones. Apparently, though, they are not the only ones keeping secrets.

It seems that Nikki neglected to tell Victor that Ian was in town. So Nikki is again keeping a secret from Victor that Paul knows about. I mean, because it worked so well last time when she and Paul kept the secret about Dylan's birth? Okay. For a couple that had been together forever, you would think that Nikki would know better than to do this again to Victor. Shoot, I'm not even married to Victor, and I know better. Some people just never learn.

But Paul was certainly right about Ian Ward. "John Darwin" wasted no time using his charm on Summer by encouraging her to find her own identity, outside of being Victor Newman's granddaughter, by going outside her comfort zone. He said in order to expand her horizons, Summer would need to do a personality profile -- and return with him to the club. This does not sound good. (What an understatement!)

Even if she did read John's bio on the Internet, Summer doesn't know him. The bio and his degree could have been faked. Oh wait...they were! He's a stranger to her. Doesn't she read the newspapers...oops, sorry, I mean the headlines on msn.com? Or watch the news on television? Young people are being accosted by perverts posing as policemen, doctors, or therapists all the time! She never even told Nikki her life coach's name. No one really knows who Summer is with. Not even Summer.

Lauren probably had the best line of the week when she said to Michael, "Well, you know, I've been held hostage so many times, it's just so old hat." Ain't that the truth? Thank goodness Michael was not at the benefit gala. He would have tried to stop Womack, and we had enough heroes as it was! When Lauren fretted that with Womack gone (as in dead), Carmine would be free to terrorize her once again, Michael assured her that Carmine still had a contract on his head. Somehow, I doubt if Carmine would let a little thing like that stop him from being with his love. I have a sneaky feeling that Carmine's next travels will take him from Puerto Rico right back to Genoa City.

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

Didn't Victoria look fantastic at the benefit gala? I loved her pink dress and also her dangly earrings and necklace. Actually, I loved her entire look. She somewhat resembled a 1920s flapper. I almost expected her to break into the Charleston. Just a touch of fringe might have finished the look though.

I also liked Sharon's dress and especially her necklace. Very chic.

To me, the background music didn't really blend in with the scene of Victor's "talk" to Katherine. The words that he spoke just didn't gel with the soft music that played at her memorial site. I realize that music was chosen because Victor was talking to Katherine, but the words just didn't fit it. It was all just strange.

I'm still "digging" (talk about an old hippy term) some of the exterior shots to add to the drama. I especially appreciated the scene of the SWAT truck pulling up at the scene. Pretty "cool" and "groovy!"

Kevin has always been one of my favorite characters, so I was glad that he became one of the heroes when he smuggled a cell phone in his jacket to call Paul with the information from inside the ballroom. Good job, Kevin!

While Neil worried about his daughter being held hostage, Leslie stressed for him to have faith. "Even in our darkest hour, we have every reason to hope." However, I don't think she could tell Chloe that now.

I laughed when, after shooting Cane, Womack yelled to Lily that Cane shouldn't have tried to play the hero. Sure, Wo, blame the victim.

I give credit to both Cane and Lily for realizing that Cane acted as a "superhero" who needed to hang up his cape. I would say that for the sake of his children, it's about time!

I may need to have Faith teach me how to play chess. She beat Nikki three times! Impressive.

I absolutely loved Nikki's golden necklace and earrings on Friday's episode. I couldn't take my eyes off of them every time she was on. Beautiful jewelry always catches my eye on soaps. Hers were stunning!

I loved the "ebuy" reference to John Darwin's Pemberton College Ph.D. in Psychology. He said that he had bought the degree on ebuy. The sad thing is that he was probably telling the truth.

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.