Two faces have I

How many false faces are there in Genoa City? Diane hides her true colors under a calm exterior. Under an innocent exterior, Allie might be hiding her own agenda. Under Ashland's woebegone exterior, he seems to be scheming. Chelsea finally faces her true feelings for Rey, and behind Adam and Sally's smiling faces, they are plotting to take over Newman Enterprises. Who will be unmasked first? Join our columnist for her thoughts on the recent shenanigans in Genoa City.

Let's begin with Allie, who has arrived in Genoa City. Jack was thrilled she arrived, but my Spidey instincts are telling me she is hiding something. She just seems too good to be true. I don't know about anyone else, but I felt her story to Jack about her mother was bogus and a safe story to tell on the spur of the moment. All the Abbotts welcomed Allie, but Ashley looked a little skeptical. I'm with Ashley. I would like to see Allie tell everyone her real reason for being in Genoa City. I wonder if there is a connection between Allie and Diane.

Allie appears very sweet and honest, but could there be a nefarious plan lurking under that sweet demeanor? I ask because some of Allie's actions have left me puzzled. After Jack told Allie about Diane's past and how she'd faked her own death, I don't understand why Allie went back to speak to Diane, especially after she learned Diane's real name wasn't Taylor Jensen but Diane Jenkins and that she'd manipulated the purchase of Keemo's house to draw Jack in. After Allie heard Diane's version, Allie seemed to sympathize with Diane, but I'm questioning whether that was a show of sympathy or ammunition for her own plan, if she has one.

You certainly can't judge a book by its cover. Sometimes those innocent faces hide the killer within. Look at Ted Bundy. He had a fairly innocent face. Who knew he was a serial killer? In Canada, there was Paul Bernardo, with an angelic face, yet he turned out to be a serial killer. I'm not saying Allie is in any way shape or form a killer. This is just an observation of what can lie behind the look of innocence. I just get the feeling there is more to Allie than meets the eye, but what it could be, I can't even speculate. Allie showing up on Jack's doorstep after only a few visits with Jack, over a period of maybe two or three days, is strange to me. Let's see if my Spidey senses will be right.

For now, I'm on the fence about Allie. Allie had mentioned to Jack when he'd been in Los Angeles that she and her mother were estranged, so when she told Jack about her mother arriving in Los Angeles to sign documents regarding Keemo's estate and ignoring her as her reason for being upset, the story she told Jack was plausible, but I still question if that was the real reason she showed up on the Abbotts' doorstep.

It looks like Allie and Noah will find that loving feeling at the wedding. They will make a very cute couple, provided things don't fall apart if Allie has an agenda and it is exposed. I would love to see Noah and Allie become a strong couple in a loving relationship. I would love to see Noah settled in a comfortable union and finally over Tessa and his ex in London.

Kyle continues to wrestle with what he feels for Diane. You can see the turmoil he is going through. He is right. He needs to figure out whether his feelings are coming from the little boy who has missed his mother for the past 20 years or if they are the true feelings of an adult who feels his mother abandoned him after the devastating destruction she left in her wake. He needs to either come to terms with Diane's past and accept her for who she is now, or stick with who he remembers from childhood. Has she really changed? I think the devil within her is going to rise to the occasion, because no matter how much Diane claims she has changed, the devil within needs to be released and fed, and it won't be long before that calm exterior falls away and exposes the real Diane.

Kyle wants to discuss his situation with Summer. Either the writers have changed Summer's personality, or they have matured her in a big way while she's been in Milan. Back in the day, Mariah had perfectly named Summer "Snowflake," and most of us saw her as an airhead, but who knows, maybe she has gained a lot of maturity and wisdom in Italy. If that is the case, then Summer might be able to point Kyle in the right direction.

I have to wonder if Diane's responses to the Abbott family's questions were real or just well-rehearsed responses? I believe they were well-rehearsed. A leopard doesn't change its spots, and neither does Diane. Even if Diane had 20 years of therapy, she didn't go from the destructive personality she'd been back then to this alleged changed persona and loving mother who only wants to reunite with her son. Sorry, not buying it.

Kyle requested a family meeting because he wanted their take on Diane. In the end, Kyle received a mixed bag of opinions. It appeared that Jack, Abby, and Ashley thought he should say buh-bye and close the door on any further encounters with Diane, but Traci and Billy believed Kyle should give her another chance. Another chance for what? To leave another path of destruction and devastation in her wake? Diane said she'd had a wonderful therapist. I would want to know the therapist's name so that I could check and see if this was a real therapist. Obviously, the therapist couldn't provide them with any information, but perhaps they could confirm whether Diane had been her patient.

Why would Diane even want to return to Genoa City, knowing how hated she was. If she wasn't plotting something, then she could have arranged to have Kyle meet her in a neighboring town to avoid any unpleasant encounters, but she chose Genoa City, and that also makes my Spidey senses work again. I believe she is up to something. Why does she think she can make amends with anyone after the horrific things she did to so many people? I wonder how long she will be able to keep her cool demeanor before the she-devil within emerges. I would like to see her leave Genoa City for good. I don't see the purpose of her being in town. They don't need a bad girl in town when Adam and Sally are creating problems -- and let's not forget Ashland has his own brand of trouble.

How about that look on Phyllis' face when she saw Michael and Diane all cozy at the bar? I admit, I chortled because that was the beginning of "Red's" fighting mode, and she really has it in for Diane. There is a war brewing, and we all know it will be epic. I would love to see Phyllis get the best of Diane after what Diane has done to her. I believe Phyllis' revenge would really be justified. This might be the first step for Phyllis and Jack reuniting -- or Diane might just put the last nail in their coffin. I would rather see Jack and Phyllis hammer in that last nail in Diane's coffin.

I think Michael was the only one Diane had never wronged. He'd been her lawyer when Victor had divorced her to marry Nikki on her deathbed. Other than that, I don't believe there was any major conflict between these two, but Michael knows what she's done.

Speaking of Michael, Lauren was very concerned about Michael working for Victor. She tried to entice Michael into moving to the south of France. But when asked if she would be willing to retire to do that, Lauren wasn't ready. They agreed to address the issue at a later date. In the meantime, how is Lauren going to feel when she finds out that Victor gave Michael a dangerous assignment? You know, I really don't care how Lauren is going to feel. Just seeing them both, especially Michael, with their own storyline makes me very happy.

Victoria has called Billy out on his podcast. She knew it had been Billy's podcast as the Grinning Soul. She chastised him for making the podcast about Ashland. Lily had warned him that would happen, and it did. That didn't endear Billy to Victoria, but will that be the first step that might draw Victoria toward Ashland? I have a sinking feeling about Victoria.

Victoria's exterior and her demeanor around Ashland indicated she would never reunite with him, but when she was alone, you could see that doubt on her face. I'm not sure whether she loved Billy as much as she loved Ashland or vice versa, but she'd always had a very deep love for Billy, and then along came Ashland, whom she'd fallen deeply in love with, as well. I have to wonder who she will turn to in the end, the drama king or the con.

This soap needs more men. I would love to see Victoria with a man who would respect and love her for who she is -- and someone who didn't have any ulterior motives and wanted a drama-free life for a bit, especially after the turmoil Victoria had been through with Ashland.

Ha! When Nikki tried to strong-arm Ashland into leaving town, he told her he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Ashland has told so many lies that I'm not totally convinced he is madly and deeply in love with Victoria. The sad face he shows everyone could be another falsehood, like his cancer, in a plot to regain control of the company, but who knows. Ashland reminds me of the little boy who cried "wolf" one too many times. He told Nick he was staying in town because that was where Harrison was, and he wanted to spend as much time with Harrison as possible. I have to ask if that was the real reason, since Harrison isn't his son, and he is using Harrison as an excuse. Am I being too skeptical? Maybe, but that is how I see Ashland until he proves me wrong.

Adam and Sally. What a pair those two are. He schemes, and she stands by her man. Diane is going to cause enough trouble without these two being added to the fray. When is Adam going to stop whining about always being overlooked by Victor and the family? He claimed victory for getting Ashland out of Victoria's life and out of the company, but he'd gone rogue and never told the family about his plan. Does Adam believe that staying in the loop only goes one way? Okay, his plan worked, but what happened to keeping everyone in the loop? He just finished complaining to Sally that he was never kept informed, but he never informed the family about his plan.

Is this Adam 2.0? At the moment, he still looks like the original Adam. That "I've changed" look has been dropped, and he is back to his old tricks again. Adam thinks he has everything figured out. Won't he be surprised if things don't go his way again, and he will be crying on Sally's shoulder once again, whining that daddy didn't love him as much as he did Victoria. Adam needs to give his head a shake because he could do amazing things with Newman Media, but that isn't enough for greedy Adam. He has a real bug up his butt about Victoria running Newman Enterprises, but Victoria has done an amazing job running the company. Even Victor has been impressed.

People have criticized Victoria for the way she treats Adam, but Adam is just as much to blame. He was actually the first one to drop the gauntlet when he first arrived in Genoa City, and it has been a nonstop war between these two, each trying to outsmart the other. They will never see eye to eye.

I guess all those beautiful words about Rey from everyone came from things that we are to assume happened off-screen, and that is the reason Rey sounds like he was a saint. I never saw that loving closeness with Sharon or her family. It just appeared that they all got along. I never saw that great love between Sharon and Rey that Sharon talked about, yet it was written like Rey had been the love of her life.

What's next for Sharon? Will it be Nick or Adam, or *gasp* someone new. Who is left that Sharon hasn't been with? There doesn't appear to be any new meat in town -- oh wait, Ashland is the new single guy in town. How about a Sharon and Ashland hook-up? Wouldn't this be the biggest kicker? Sharon, who'd had cancer and survived, coupled with a con man who had faked having cancer and claimed he'd had a miracle cure.

I can't see that happening. We all recall that when Ashland walked into Crimson Lights, Sharon couldn't hide her contempt for him. I can't imagine this union, and I can't stop laughing at the prospect of it -- but I guess anything is possible on a soap.

For a long time, I didn't want to see Sharon and Nick reunite because there had been too much water under the bridge for these two, but a lot of years and experiences have matured them, and I have changed my mind. I believe that at this point in their lives, they could have a deep and meaningful union. Nick has sowed his oats, and Sharon has all her health issues under control. I think they are both looking to settle into a quiet and loving life.

Chelsea finally admitted to herself that her feelings for Rey had been far more than just friendship. She had actually hoped that down the road, she and Rey would be together. My resident galloping horse saw that one coming from ten miles away, but once again, Chelsea placed herself into Sharon's orbit. It wasn't bad enough that Chelsea was always jealous of the bond between Sharon and Adam; she was about to try crossing the line with Rey if he hadn't died. If Rey had lived, did Chelsea really believe she could have snagged Rey away from Sharon? Sharon was onto Chelsea, and if Rey was the saint everyone claimed he was, especially after he'd been cheated on by Mia, I doubt very much he would have left Sharon for Chelsea.

When did Chelsea become such a milquetoast? She has always been a very strong personality, and now she was boohooing and wondering when she would be the winner and have a happy life. Chelsea has always fought for what she wanted, and she usually got it. I want to see the feisty Chelsea back on my screen.

After Billy saw Lily's family unite as a family, he began to question where he fit in. Here we go again. Billy is, once again, feeling the pull of uncertainty, and the wanderlust bug might hit him again. Does anyone see two lost souls bonding over their discontent? What if Billy and Chelsea commiserate together and wind up bonding with each other? The drama king and another con hooking up. Okay, the giggles have started, but this could be a possibility. It's a better option than a Chelsea and Ashland coupling, or maybe not. Two cons could create a lot of angst in Genoa City. Something to ponder.

Are the writers that desperate for storylines? They have to stop these Billy podcasts because they couldn't be more boring and uninteresting. Reading fans' comments on social media, I can tell no one is enjoying these at all. Maybe my idea of a Billy and Chelsea coupling might not be so far-fetched. I'm sure it would be more interesting than Billy's *yawn* podcasts.

I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts and ponderings. Until next time, stay safe!Nel

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