Truth or Consequences

Genoa City has had a whole lot of shaking going on this week. Victor is back in his manipulation game, Tucker has his sights set on acquiring Daniel's game platform for his company, Phyllis has made an unauthorized pitch to Nate about Daniel's project, Devon has threatened a lawsuit against Lily and Jill, Sally hasn't told Nick that Jill canceled their meeting, and Jack and Diane have consummated their relationship. Join our columnist for her views and opinions in Two Scoops for this week.

I'm sure everyone remembers some ridiculous or unbelievable storylines that have graced out television sets over the years, and I believe we currently have one. Without a doubt, Jack breaking into Nikki's apartment in Chicago was ridiculous. Are we supposed to believe that after ten years or more, Victor and Nikki hadn't thought to change the codes. In what has been purported to be a very secure building, the doorman just allowed Jack to saunter in without question?

Question: Why would Nikki leave any jewelry in her Chicago apartment when she rarely goes there? Does anyone recall the last time Nikki was there? My last recollection was when she and Jack were married. That was over ten years ago. So, why would she leave jewelry there, especially a necklace that's worth a few million dollars.

It seems that after all that time, Jack still remembered everything. Let's talk about the doorman. After that length of time, was it still the same doorman from ten years ago, or was it someone new? If it was someone new, how did Jack just breeze by him without any questions being asked (or was that done off-screen, too)? Jack just wandered into Nikki's apartment, helped himself to her most expensive piece of jewelry, planted Jeremy Stark's reading glasses -- with Jeremy's fingerprints on them -- next to the safe, sauntered out, and drove back to Genoa City. Jack just committed grand larceny for Diane in the name of protecting her. Jack is crazier than a loon in a windstorm for helping Diane after everything she's put him through.

In the meantime, Stark didn't see through Diane's cozy act. Believing he was about to indulge in a little sexy time with her, he decided to have a shower first. Diane took advantage of Stark being in the bathroom to incriminate him by placing a schematic of Nikki's apartment building under the mattress, the black windbreaker in a drawer, and his stolen goods on the coffee table for all to see, just like any professional thief would do.

Jeremy Stark is a professional criminal, a high-stakes money launderer. Money laundering is his M.O., so why would he deviate from something he's been successfully doing for years, steal only one necklace, and leave evidence that he'd been there? Who writes this stuff? Even if a professional criminal like Jeremy had decided to become a thief, he wouldn't just steal one necklace! He would take everything, and he certainly wouldn't leave any telltale signs that he'd been there. A professional criminal like Stark would cover all his tracks.

Nikki, Chance, and Billy didn't believe Jeremy had committed the crime. Nikki immediately zoned in on Jack and Diane. Nikki remembered that the codes hadn't been changed since the last time she and Jack had been there. It's a joke if Jack believes they pulled off that robbery and are safe. Either Jack's brain cells aren't firing on all cylinders, or the writers have really dumbed him down. Either way, this is not the Jack I have known, loved, and hated over the years. Jack had always thought things through before leaping onto the next lily pad. Idiot Jack has also jumped into bed with Diane after the hell she put him through those many years ago. Writers, please get rid of this clone and bring back the real deal.

Jeremy Stark has been a huge letdown for me. This is a professional criminal. Since he's been in town, all he's done is talk, talk, threaten, and talk some more. Where has the criminal in him been hiding? I had hoped to see him expose Diane about the things she did in Los Angeles and trick her into committing more crimes with him, maybe doing some of his professional dirty work on the side, not this storyline about blackmailing Diane because he claimed she owed him money. Jack offered to triple the money Diane owed him, but for some reason (which I can't fathom), he still insisted Diane owed him $25,000, and he wanted it back. Was that supposed to be on top of the money Jack offered him? None of this made sense to me.

Jeremy has walked the straight and narrow since arriving in Genoa City. He didn't commit a single crime. I understand he didn't want to draw attention to himself, but a professional like him could have gotten away with just about anything, and no one would be the wiser. Diane claimed she was terrified of him, yet she practically sat on his lap at the Glam Club the night of the robbery. Phyllis saw them together and took a video of Diane and Stark being very cozy together. I laughed when I realized Phyllis has proof to expose Diane, yet she hasn't revealed that video to anyone. That surprises me. I thought she would have been so excited that she would have had it aired on the eleven o'clock news. The video proves Diane lied about being terrified of Stark, and it also proves that Jeremy didn't steal Nikki's necklace because he was with Diane when the crime was being committed.

Victor continues to manipulate. He has conspired with Kyle to have Adam fired from Jabot. Victor wants Adam to grovel. Ha! Has anyone ever seen Adam grovel? Victor would then dangle a very tempting carrot in front of Adam and get him back into the family fold. Do the best-laid plans ever come to fruition? Will Adam take the bait? I doubt it. Adam knows Victor pretty well.

Victor wants to take over Tucker's debt-ridden company, McCall Unlimited, and dangle that tasty carrot in front of Adam. Victor is certain Adam will jump at that chance, since it is apparently right up Adam's alley. I could be wrong here, but when Victor acquires McCall Unlimited, wouldn't it fall under the Newman umbrella? If so, then Adam would still be working under Victoria, and that's something Adam refuses to do.

Speaking of Adam, he seems to be sliding deeper into that dark abyss. I think we have all noticed that Adam isn't happy at Jabot. Lately, it seems his life's ambition is to put everyone down, and he's been doing that with everyone he sees lately. There's no shortage of bars coming from Adam. Adam practically demanded to know why Victor wanted to talk to Kyle. Adam warned Kyle that Victor was manipulating him.

Victor has stopped just short of demanding that Nick drop Sally. Victor knew about Sally's presentation to Jill. Victor called Jill and called in a favor from her. He asked her to cancel Sally's presentation. Yikes, Victor is treating his sons like they are teenaged boys rather than men in their forties who make their own decisions. Does he really believe Nick and Adam will comply with his demands?

Lily has always been one of my favorites, but not so much lately. She has always been very family oriented, so why is she voting against giving Devon the company he built with Neil? She and Jill seem to have an obsession about this IPO and their bottom line, but at what cost? Lily is ignoring what Hamilton-Winters means to Devon -- or perhaps she wants that part of her father for herself. She has betrayed Devon. She knows what that company means to him. Lily's choice is to either sever ties with her brother and keep the company Devon built, or sell his company back to Devon and retain the family tie with him. Which will she choose? Devon has told her he will take her and Jill to court if they don't allow him to buy his company back.

I'm with Devon on this one. That company means too much to him. He and Neil had a special bond, and the fact that they created that company together means the world the Devon. How can Lily not see that? Devon was reluctant to merge with Chancellor in the beginning, but he later agreed because it would be run by family. When the issue of the IPO came up, he was totally against it because he would lose his company to shareholders, and he wouldn't have any say in how it was run. He needs to get his company back.

Like Devon, I wouldn't want to start a new company again. Lily wants to keep his company and rebrand it Chancellor Worldwide. To me, the rebranding is no longer the company that Devon and Neil built. It's not even the family company Lily and Devon merged. It becomes a whole new entity. Lily is basically telling Devon that she and Jill would buy his company and leave him with nothing. How does Lily see that as a win-win situation? They get everything, and Devon is left whistling in the wind. Like Devon, I would want the company that I had built with Neil.

Here is a thought. What if Tucker figures out a way to get Hamilton-Winters from Chancellor-Winters and returns it to Devon without any of his dirty tricks. Voila! Couldn't that redeem Tucker in Devon's eyes? But who wants Tucker to be their dear old dad?

I don't get Abby. She knows what that company means to Devon, so why has she suggested that Devon sell Hamilton-Winters and start a new company? She is treating it like it's piece of property that should be bought and sold at will. I'm not sure if Abby will ever stop being an airhead, but then she also seems to have a flare for business.

Phyllis refused to provide Tucker with any information about Daniel's project. Why is Tucker so interested in it. It turns out that because of Tucker's expensive lifestyle, his company is under a mountain of debt, and if he could convince Daniel to join his company, Daniel's game platform would keep Tucker's company afloat. Tucker had to play his little game. He approached Daniel and said he'd had an interesting conversation with Phyllis. He sure didn't. He'd heard Phyllis leave a voicemail for Nate, and Phyllis told Tucker to stay away from Daniel. When Tucker told Daniel he'd had an interesting conversation with Phyllis, he was bluffing. Withholding information is a lie by omission, and Tucker is an expert in that area.

Phyllis has gone rogue once again. I have a love/hate feeling for Phyllis. She is another one who will never learn. She has overstepped her boundaries once again. She heard that Chancellor-Winters was on hold because of the IPO, so naturally, there is no other option but to talk to Nate at Newman Media, without Daniel's knowledge. When he discovered what his mother had done, he told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't his partner, merely his employee. Well, if that didn't tie her knickers in a knot, I don't know what will. It appears Phyllis believed being Daniel's mother made her a partner in his venture.

Daniel was right when he mentioned that an old grudge had ruined her career and her relationship with Summer. Phyllis claimed she'd been proven right, but Daniel rightly asked what Phyllis had to show for being right.

Chance and Sharon... I'm liking the slow burn going on between these two. They are very relaxed with each other and seem to have fun together. Sharon seems to be helping him over his life's hurdles.

Chance seems to have reached a fork in his travel plans. Divorce is usually enough on anyone's plate, but Chance also has the theft of Nikki's necklace to deal with, and he knows nothing is adding up there. Added to that, he no longer wants to be a detective. Chance has a trifecta going for him, and Sharon's support is helping him.

I'm not sure if this has the makings of a happily ever after for Sharon and Chance, but I'm enjoying the playfulness between them and the sage advice Sharon offers Chance. This was something that Chance and Abby never had during their short time together. What will Chance do if he isn't a detective? His whole adult life has been in law enforcement in one field or another. I wonder what he will choose as his next career. If this relationship turns romantic, I think Sharon and Chance might wind up being a couple like Lauren and Michael -- at least that's what I would like to see. Sharon has been married enough times, and I think it's time for her to settle down with one man.

What is the worry about Dominic being traumatized if Abby and Dominic moved out of the Chancellor house? Are they afraid he is going to lament losing his best friend if he moves? He's just over a year old, and at that age, as long as he feels safe, it doesn't matter if they move. Some of us have moved at all different ages, and we settle in nicely. Another silly storyline.

Who's ready for a Billy and Chelsea romance? Not me. I think they are two broken people. I think if they were together, they would be a destructive force, but I could be wrong. They might wind up being good for each other, but at this point, I don't see it. I personally would like to see Billy and Lily reconcile, but I somehow doubt that will happen unless Daniel reconciles with Heather. I was beginning to think that Lily and Daniel might get that old feeling back and pick up where they left off all those years ago, but with Heather and Lucy joining Daniel soon, the reunion with Lily and Daniel might be off the table.

Nick was so sweet and supportive of Sally when she finally confirmed she was pregnant. I see Nick headed for a huge heartbreak if the baby turns out to be Adam's. It's bad enough that Christian is Adam and Sage's child, but the birth certificate says Nick is the father. There might be another paternity switch storyline here. (Such a new concept on a soap!) I wonder why these clinics don't have revolving doors, because it seems anyone can walk in and out at will.

Sally is in Los Angeles for a meeting that Jill canceled at Victor's request. I'm wondering why Sally didn't tell Nick that Jill had canceled their meeting during her phone call with Nick.

I don't know about anyone else, but I want to get invested in the Mariah and Tessa adoption storyline, but I can't get into the meat of it because too much is being done and said off-screen. All we get is something happened here, and they had a long chat with so-and-so there, but we haven't been involved with any of it. This has so much potential, and they're not showing it to us. I want them to have their baby, but I want to see the struggle and the meetings, not just a report to Sharon at Crimson Lights. I want to see the mother look at the love between Mariah and Tessa and want that for her child.

We know that Delphine has decided they will be the adoptive parents of her child, but what if Delphine decides to keep the baby? Here's a funny idea. What if Sally decided to put her baby up for adoption, and Mariah and Tessa wound up adopting it? If that happened, it could open the door for some interesting storylines!

I have never been a fan of stand-alone episodes, and Lauren's was no exception. The build-up seemed to imply we would see many faces from the past, and we saw a few -- Doug Davidson as Paul Williams, Blair Redford as Dr. Scott Grainger, Kimberlin Brown as Sheila Carter, Susan Seaforth Hayes as Joanna Manning, and, of course, Jess Walton as Jill Abbott. I enjoyed seeing Fen again and meeting his new boyfriend, Trey (maybe that relationship could have started on-screen!?!). I really enjoyed the flashback with Jill, Michael, and Lauren after Jill was caught having sex with someone in Lauren's office.

I remembered all those flashbacks -- oddly, with the exception of Paul catching Lauren stealing, which you would think I would remember! The flashbacks brought back memories of what got me hooked on The Young and the Restless, when the storylines always left me wanting more. I miss the Bill Bell touch.

Those are my opinions for this week. I'd love to hear yours. Feel free to drop them off in the Comments box just below this column. And until next time, stay safe!Nel

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.