Follow your own path, no matter where it leads

Heroes wearing white hats and men in black! The mystery of the music box is solved at long last in an unexpected way! And we bid a fond farewell to Chloe who finally wants to get better -- or does she? Catch up on the latest in this week's Two Scoops.

While another sweeps period has come and gone, I couldn't help but notice that nothing really earth-shattering happened on The Young and the Restless during the month of May. Shoot, I had more drama going on in my life, dealing with my husband's hernia surgery, although I must admit that would be nothing to write about. But all we had yet again was the constant promise of the reveal of a big secret that still has yet to happen.

Ian was one culprit who loved to throw the hint of a huge secret in front of everyone's face. Again, he dangled it in front of Victor's nose, just as one would hold out a carrot to a donkey. (Or maybe that would be "a jackass" in Victor's case?) A very colorful Ian, whose face was "blue and yellow and green," thanks to the beating delivered by Victor's thugs, insisted that the information he held was very vital to Victor. Generous Ian was willing to let it go for a reasonable price, even though it was "worth its weight in gold."

Oh, that Ian -- ever so thrifty and opportunistic! But Victor refused to be toyed with and threw Ian out. Honestly, I wish Victor had just paid him off, if only so we could all finally learn what the secret is. Y&R fan Kathy E. expands on this:

I'm so disappointed with the writing! When Victor had Ian beaten up, I was really frustrated! He has used far more diabolical schemes against Jack, Brad and Adam to name a few? So why use this method? Hit him where it hurts, in the wallet! Victor is supposed to be a chess master, why such a weak power play?

I think that Victor likes to throw his power around, no matter what form it is in. He likes to remind his enemies that he is calling the shots, and he will use any method to send the message. It's his switching of methods that keeps his foes off guard and at bay. It's a pretty good strategy, really. Victor uses whatever works best, depending on his victim, although I'm not sure anything would work with Ian.

Since he got nowhere with Victor, Ian then ran over to Dylan to tease him with this unknown critical information. Little did Ian know that he was crashing the red carpet premiere of Avery's debut on national television, only it was not actually a premiere and there was no red carpet. Or maybe Ian did know. No matter, consideration doesn't seem to be high up on Ian's list of attributes. Strangely, Dylan was very civil to him as he tossed Ian out on his rear. Will that guy never learn? (In this case, I mean Ian. Although that could apply to Dylan as well.)

I loved it when Avery noted to Nikki that Dylan had been controlled and calculating. Did that remind you of anyone, Nikki? As Avery suspected, Dylan was working with Victor to pay Willa, Ian's ex-wife, for the very information that Ian kept promising to deliver. I guess they would rather hand the money to Willa than to cave in to Ian. I can't say that I blame them. Victor was footing the bill, of course. I mean, where would Dylan come up with the cash?

After Ian ruined the party, Austin noted that Summer did not seem her usual "sunny self." I hadn't realized that Austin knew Summer well enough to know what her "sunny self" was. Later that became more apparent when Summer had to admit to Abby that she did not even know Austin's last name. (Which was Travers, by the way.) Actually, I am not surprised that Summer and Austin are being paired up with the lack of eligible young men available in Genoa City at this time. Since Kyle disappeared, there hadn't really been any other suitor for Summer until Austin arrived on the scene.

Anyway, Summer regretted that she felt that her dad was bailing on her mom, even though she had tried to act like an adult about it. Please...some of the adults that I know act less mature than Summer. I mean, Summer had just seen Jack with Kelly at his house, and it was pretty obvious that they had just gotten out of bed. Since Summer's pretty sharp, it wasn't too hard for her to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Now that we know Phyllis has been recast, I don't think that we will have to wait too much longer for Phyllis to come out of her coma. Dare we hope that Sharon's big secret will finally come out? Oh, please let it be true!

What a great choice to have Gina Tognoni be the new Phyllis. Although I wasn't her biggest fan when she played Kelly on One Life to Live, I absolutely loved her as Dinah on Guiding Light. She really brought Dinah to life and made her a truly complex character who also had a heart of gold hidden under her many layers. Since Ms. Tognoni played a blonde as Kelly and a brunette as Dinah, I somehow don't think she would mind at all being a redhead as Phyllis. I am sure she will look great with red hair.

My only concern was about her age, especially in regards to Nick. (I had forgotten about Daniel.) I always knew that Michelle Stafford's Phyllis was older than Nick, and I wondered if Gina Tognoni would be able to pull that off -- but would she even need to? Otherwise, I think she is a terrific choice to play Phyllis. Y&R fan David S. agrees:

I look forward to having some "NEW LIFE" brought to Phyllis. Gina Tognoni was a great actor as Dinah on Guilding Light and look forward to what she brings to Y&R. She will be exciting to see with Jack. I do believe you did a good job of pairing up the two. Hurry, Hurry I can't wait!!

Y&R fan Kandi also shares a similar view:

Way to go Y/R!! I think she could really pull it off. Her character as Dinah Marler from GL...was just as reckless, cold-blooded and conniving as Phyllis Summers. Good choice! KUDOS to Gina!! Maybe I will actually start watching Y/R again...who knows.

However, Y&R fan Lissa M. totally disagrees:

NOBODY could EVER replace Phyllis, Michelle Stafford was the BEST!! SHAME on the BELL family for not offering an enormous amount of money to stay!!

Personally, I can't wait to see what Gina Tognoni can bring to Phyllis. She has already demonstrated that she is very capable of playing a character with multiple layers, and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of spin she will put on her version of Phyllis. Since Michelle Stafford was so very popular, I hope that Y&R fans are willing to give Gina a chance. In the meantime, though, we will all have to be patient as we wait for Phyllis to come out of her coma.

That means, of course, that Summer will also have to wait a little longer for her mother to return to her. So, she will have to continue to see Jack and Kelly together as their love for each other blossoms. I agreed with Kelly that the London trip would have been a little rushed, and she was wise for wanting to take things slowly. I am still pretty fascinated by this duo. I like Cady McClain's portrayal of Kelly, and I enjoy watching her interaction with Peter Bergman's Jack. Y&R fan Terry exclaims:

Just wanted to say that I totally agree about Jack and Kelly. Peter Bergman and Cady McClain are mesmerizing to watch together. So glad to see her back on TV again and showing that she can act outside of Dixie on AMC. I really think these two have great chemistry and I actually wait for their scenes. The best.

Soaps have something to offer everyone and not every storyline or couple is every fan's cup of tea. Y&R fan Jennifer remarks:

I absolutely hate the pairing of Jack & Kelly. Peter Bergman is my all-time favorite actor on the show; unfortunately, my enjoyment of my Jackie is now being spoilt by seeing him on screen with Cady McClain as Kelly.

Jack has always been one of my favorite characters, also, so I am enjoying any kind of airtime he can get. If Kelly keeps him on my screen, I am one happy camper. Actually, Jack's involvement with Kelly is going to get very juicy once Phyllis returns on the scene. Somehow, I don't think her discovery of their relationship will go well. Not for any of them. And I can't wait to see it. Bring it on!

So, while we wait for Phyllis' return, at least Sharon is starting to recover more of her memories. On the anniversary of Cassie's death, Sharon and Nick took flowers to her grave. Where you as shocked as I was when they actually showed the dates of Cassie's birth and death, "1/8/1991" and "5/24/2005," on her tombstone this time? Of course, I realize that a year ago, the writers were trying to cover up just how much they had drastically aged Summer. To make it look not-so-obvious, Sharon covered up the dates with the flowers shortly afterwards. Hey, we fans would never catch on. It's not like we noticed the dates were covered up a year ago, for heaven's sake. Oh, well...

Cassie had another visitor when Victor arrived, adorned with forget-me-nots. As Sharon declared, what perfect flowers for "the perfect memory of our perfect daughter." That's why I always liked the idea of Mariah being the unknown, long-lost twin sister of Cassie and daughter of Sharon. Because Sharon will always think of Cassie as being perfect, and Mariah could never possibly measure up to those high standards. Mariah most certainly wouldn't score high in Nick's eyes, either, since he already thinks that she is "callous and self-serving."

But being at Cassie's grave helped Sharon remember fragments of her memories, and she even remembered that Nick had also been at the grave and that he had talked about Summer's paternity test. After Nick mentioned that they had learned weeks later that Jack was actually Summer's biological father, Sharon believed that she had known before then. So, we are getting closer to the truth. And later, Sharon was on the right track when she researched the date of her red light traffic violation. Phyllis' tumble down the stairs popped up on the computer before Tyler distracted Sharon. Will Sharon remember to check out the story? And then will her memories of that night finally return?

I still have a feeling that it will take Phyllis to unravel the whole story. Maybe then we will finally learn whether Nick or Jack is actually Summer's biological father. Although I suspect this won't happen, I would love for it to be Jack. He and Summer are growing a special father/daughter bond, and I would hate for that to be taken from him. Jack would be devastated to lose Summer after all the losses he has gone through already. That would be sad!

On another note, anytime we are shown the inside of Sharon's cottage, I have to admire her stained glass windows. I also like her lamp with the stained glass shade, which would be referred to as a Tiffany-style lamp. I wouldn't think that it would be an actual Tiffany lamp, which would cost thousands of dollars, but who knows? After all, the Newmans are very wealthy. Maybe it was a gift to Sharon before Victor and Nikki turned against her.

Several years ago, my husband and I took a stained glass class, where I made a very colorful toucan window, and he created a blue heron window. We have both hanging on walls in our house. While he still makes stained glass once in a while because he finds it relaxing, it feels too much like work to me. But I do still appreciate stained glass, which is why I took the class in the first place. I would like to replace some of the windows in our house with stained glass, like in Sharon's cottage. I think it gives the house a touch of class, and I do love the colors!

Thanks to Tyler's plea, Sharon decided to travel to Portland to help Mariah, and Nick was not happy, to say the least. Nick feared that Mariah was preying on a woman who missed her daughter but Sharon refused to let Nick rescue her again. I guess Sharon is evolving! Thankfully, Nick realized that he needed to trust her. Maybe Nick's finally evolving too?

I loved Chef Nicola's farewell party to her, complete with "pizza microwava," brewsky, pretty imported (Christmas) lights, and the flower petals who made the ultimate sacrifice for a worthy cause. Sharon and Nick have always had a sweet chemistry together, and this scene showcased their playful chemistry. They are fun to watch right now, but how much longer will that last, once the huge secret emerges?

Nick was a busy guy when he also advised Abby to kick Tyler to the curb because of Tyler's less-than-truthful ways. Come on, even Leslie could see Abby's side of it and told Tyler to cut Mariah loose. Really, no woman should put up with her fianc chasing after his ex, and apparently Abby agreed, since she "overreacted" and gave Tyler his ring back. Abby should never have to play second fiddle, and that's just what she was doing. As long as Tyler feels that he needs to save Mariah, Abby will never be his priority. Abby deserves better than that.

Noah and Courtney are still so very cute together, and they still enjoy their sexy cops-and-robbers game. I liked that Courtney could handle herself with the dirtbags and that she didn't take any guff from them. However, I was a little concerned about Harding calling Courtney "sweetheart" at the police station. Isn't he aware that the term could be considered sexual harassment at the workplace? It would be a shame if the show did not address this.

It's amazing to me in this day and age that women are still degraded and put down at work, even after the many attempts to educate employees and to put a stop to this sort of nonsense. I hope that Y&R does not just let this one slide and that Courtney confronts Harding about his belittling behavior towards her. She should put the brakes on Harding's offensive words and/or actions immediately.

I was totally surprised that after mentioning what I called a cabinet between Billy and Victoria's living room and dining room in my last column, it is being shown again for the first time in ages. After seeing it again, I realize now that I was actually referring to a bookcase. Although the camera scanned briefly on the contents, I must have been referring to one pot that resembled a McCoy pottery wishing well. Because the item flashed by in such a blur, I can't be 100% sure about it, but it did look like the wishing well. Unless Victoria takes it out of the bookcase, though, I can't say that I will ever know for sure.

After Victoria informed Stitch that Chelsea knew about the pregnancy and threatened to tell Billy, Stitch agreed that Victoria should tell him before someone else did. I absolutely agree with that. Secrets have a tendency to come out, anyway, and she would want that kind of news to come from her, not from someone else who put a negative spin on it. Stitch pointed out that he was not necessarily the guy in the white hat and that Billy was not dressed in black, but Victoria still hesitated. She had better decide quickly before Chelsea takes that decision away from her.

But though she didn't realize it, Chelsea had her own concerns with the man, whom we all suspect is Adam, that continued to spy on her. And it appeared that he did not like what he was seeing as he watched Chelsea and Billy bond and become friends. I think the snapping of the pencil told us that much. Since Billy feels that he has lost Victoria, he seems to have turned to Chelsea, and she hasn't minded a bit. I think they both feel that they are in the same boat and that only they know how to comfort each other after their losses.

However, I can see why Victoria has had such a tough time telling Billy of her pregnancy because of his recent behavior. I could not believe my eyes when I saw him take out his key to enter the house, even though he and Victoria were legally separated. Thankfully, he thought better of it and knocked instead. Billy acted in a childish and immature manner when he confronted Stitch and pushed him into a table, breaking a wedding gift. I didn't blame Victoria a bit when she demanded that he call first before his next visit and when she decided to wait for the results of the paternity test before telling him. Unfortunately, Chelsea's little slip took the decision out of her hands.

Wasn't it a little silly when Chelsea told Stitch that Billy had figured out that Victoria was pregnant all by himself? Yeah, after her little slip. Funny that Billy had the same story for Victoria and expressed that with the new baby, they could all be a happy family again, good as new. Of course, Victoria was right in that a baby did not fix all of their problems. Plus, what if the baby was Stitch's? Billy was sure that he could accept the baby and that they could get through it together. But he then showed his immaturity again when he demanded to see Victoria's little black book.

It's unrealistic of Billy to think that all would be good as gold with a new child, especially since Stitch may be part of the equation. Babies are very demanding and can only exasperate an already difficult situation. Children should never be used as Band-Aids to try to fix a troubled marriage. And then there's Victor, who is Team Stitch all the way. But even Victor doesn't know that Stitch has a secret past that may one day come out. Stitch had better be a little quicker in delivering his news to Victoria, since Kevin is back on the hunt for dirt on the dear doctor.

I was not surprised that the role of Billy Abbott has been recast, since I never saw any onscreen chemistry between David Tom's Billy and Amelia Heinle's Victoria. And I really tried to accept him in the role because I know how instrumental the character Billy Abbott is to Genoa City. Mr. Tom's Billy has become almost unlikable, and he's even lost his charm, which had gotten Billy out of scrapes and poor decisions in the past.

I do wish David Tom well in his career, and I welcome Burgess Jenkins into the fold. Maybe someone totally new to daytime soaps can make this character his own. David Tom had big shoes to fill because Billy had totally changed since the first time he played him. The best of luck to both gentlemen as they travel on the new "paths" in their careers.

Ha, I had to laugh when Esther unintentionally referred to Colin as "the rat in the attic." I think it would take more than just an exterminator to get rid of that vermin. Colin was able to persuade Jill to release him, though, after promising to do a 50/50 split and then claimed that the answer lay in the sheet music for the tune from the music box. After Jill realized that Colin's solution was only a blank page of paper, she flung a pillow at him, which hit the chandelier and knocked down Katherine's gorgeous necklace, a priceless heirloom. To me, something so special and precious to Katherine should be more meaningful to Jill than any amount of money.

Jill was thrilled and then claimed that the necklace belonged to her, although Colin maintained, "What's yours is mine." They discovered a rolled-up message from Katherine, who requested that Jill wear the necklace on her journey to find out what's really important. Good for her. Finally, a resolution! After all, the necklace really had been right in front of Jill's eyes the entire time, as Katherine had indicated in her will, since it was in the chandelier. I think that Colin summed it up best when he said, "When I think of all the trouble we went through to solve the mystery of the music box, in the end it meant nothing." No truer words were spoken.

In the meantime, Cane believed that his father had become a missing person and was relieved to find him alive and well, if not somewhat filthy. After Colin explained that he had been "tied up" in Canada, Cane asked him about the Bonaventure Industries business card. Colin assured Cane that he had known nothing about any illegal drugs and later, when Cane went to Newman Enterprises, Victor indicated that he would have to pay millions in fines and might even have to do time in a penitentiary. Victor then said that he would feed whoever masterminded the plot to the jackals.

Since Colin appears to be the jackal, I wonder if this is his next storyline, and if so, what would be Jill's role? Would she be aiding Colin or Victor? If this is the case, I hope that they can find a way to make it more interesting. This has been dragging on for quite a while now.

While Lily tried to "nudge" Devon to seduce Hilary, Neil attempted to explain to Leslie why he was with the sassy minx. When Leslie questioned how many minutes Neil had waited, after they split up, until he pursued Hilary, Neil reminded her that she had already jumped into marriage. What...is this a race? It almost seems like it, since Neil already has Hilary moved into his place and is now talking about marriage.

And I thought Jack's suggestion about a London trip together with Kelly was a little fast. Is Neil in this big rush for a relationship with Hilary to get even with Leslie? Or could he be trying to show Leslie that he doesn't care? It all seems rather suspicious.

We all had to say goodbye to Chloe and Elizabeth Hendrickson this week. Chloe claimed that she wanted to get better so that she could get back to normal...well, whatever normal for her was anyway. And her loved ones realized that therapy was the only way they could get her back. I was glad that Chelsea reminded Chloe that they were best friends and that Chloe stressed to Billy that she did not blame him for Delia's death. Billy needed to know that so that he can continue to heal.

After Kevin wished that Chloe could get therapy at nearby Fairview, Chloe insisted that the facility was too near where Delia had once played, laughed, and died. She told Kevin that he had been good and kind and better than she ever deserved -- and she was right! I am looking forward to the next journey for Kevin, as he has always been one of my favorite characters. I always thought that he loved Chloe more than she ever loved him, and I would like to see him with someone who loves and truly appreciates him.

But somehow, I don't think that we are rid of Chloe just yet, as she still has the can containing Billy's sperm. Yes, I see Chloe returning somewhere down the road with another kid in tow. Billy could become a father one way or another, through either Victoria or Chloe -- or both. Or since Kevin slept with Chloe just before she left, would the child be his? Stay tuned for Chloe's return down the road!

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

Ian and his never-ending path mottos: "A man has to follow his path, no matter where it leads." If Ian was smart, his path would steer him completely away from Victor Newman. But I guess he isn't all that smart.

How many of you ladies would agree with Abby's comment, "Guys can say all of the right things but it's what they're not saying that can ruin things"? I bet quite a few of you, am I right? (Me too!)

Nice job, writers, by having Nick exclaim that he could hardly recognize Faith after her makeover. And welcome back, Alyvia Alyn Lind as Faith! Very clever writing indeed.

Big necklaces must be "in" right now, and I couldn't help but notice Sharon's at the gravesite. I like how her flowery necklace tied her blue dress to her green purse. Hey, I just realized that Sharon's necklace was the exact same colors as Ian's face: "blue and yellow and green." Victor would have loved the irony!

Until next time, please stay tuned.

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