Between a rock and a hard place

Conundrums were plentiful on The Young and the Restless this past week, with several characters finding themselves stuck between making some equally unpleasant choices. Betrayal, corporate drama, and dangerous secrets are at the root of it all -- and our Two Scoops columnist is here to bring you all the details!

Well, be careful what you wish for, folks. A few weeks back, I complained that Connor's OCD storyline wasn't "soapy" enough and it was boring me, but now that it has led to exes Chelsea and Adam having drunken sex, I wish I could take it all back! The storyline was already extremely boring, but now it is infuriating, too. I just can't wrap my head around why the writers would go this route after Sally and Adam fans have barely had time to enjoy their romantic reunion. I just don't like any of what they are doing with these characters right now -- at least in their personal lives. In their professional lives and storylines on the show, I actually think the writers are doing great work.

I love to see Sally thriving in her new position at Marchetti and was thrilled that Summer offered her the chance to be the lead designer for their new brand aimed at younger clientele. Summer has been very angry lately in most of her scenes, so I enjoyed seeing a different side of her with Chelsea and Sally at Society. It was really nice to see Chelsea and Sally getting along, too, and I like to think that Chelsea would have been just as supportive of Sally's new and upcoming role at Marchetti, even if she weren't feeling guilty about sleeping with Sally's man.

Even though I don't love this latest twist with Adam and Chelsea, the scenes between Chelsea and Sally were really good at the end of the week. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering whether Chelsea was about to confess everything to Sally -- it was painful! Chelsea truly was caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, she didn't want to be untruthful while Sally was thanking her for being there for Adam and praising both of them for how well they have handled everything. But on the other hand, she doesn't want their secret getting out because it would ruin her relationship with Billy and also Sally's relationship with Adam over a one-time thing. Thankfully, Sally didn't really seem to have a clue as to why Chelsea was getting so emotional during their chat and likely just assumed it was because of everything that was going on with Connor.

I know that Chelsea and Adam's secret is going to come out eventually, but is it wrong of me to just hope that their tryst remains a secret forever? I can't handle Sally and Adam breaking up again so soon (or ever). And I really hope that Chelsea doesn't end up pregnant -- please, just don't go there! Oh, God, they're going to go there, aren't they? This Billy/Chelsea/Adam/Sally quadrangle is surely about to implode.

Oh, no, I just had another terrible thought: They wouldn't try to pair Billy and Sally now, too, would they? This is about to get so messy! It's certainly soapy enough for me now. Ugh, I hate that part of me is looking forward to all the messiness, because I really am not looking forward to Sally finding out that Adam cheated (but I also know it will make for some great TV). I guess I'm facing my own conundrum now. But at least I can be grateful that it's not boring anymore!

I'm still a bit bored by Billy, though, and the whole storyline with Chancellor-Winters splitting back into two separate companies. Maybe Billy being paired up with Sally for a short time would add some spice back to his character again (and hopefully not make Sally boring like she was during her dalliance with Nick). But I may not be the best judge because I thought Billy and Chelsea were going to be a fun pair at first, and they've managed to become mostly boring, too. If they split, maybe he will get back together with Lily, since she has decided to stick with Chancellor instead of working with Devon.

I don't like Lily's decision, but I can understand why she might not want to disappoint Jill or appear to disrespect Jill by not following through with the plan they presented to the board when they voted on the split. Lily, caught between a rock and a hard place, is choosing her loyalty to Jill over her loyalty to her family. As much as I prefer to see the Winters clan united, I can't say I totally blame Lily for being uncertain about working alongside her brother, given that they have often not seen eye to eye on how to run the joint company.

Adam has a similar choice to make regarding his career now that Victor has revealed that he wants to use Adam as weapon aimed right at Jack and Jabot, should he choose to accept the job offer and return to the position of CEO of Newman Media. I was glad that Adam was torn over whether or not to take Victor's job offer because of his friendship with Jack. Victor has placed Adam squarely between a rock and a hard place. Adam wants to please his father and do a good job at Newman Media (should he choose to take his old job back), but he doesn't necessarily want to do it at the cost of his friendship with Jack.

I have always appreciated the friendship that Adam and Jack have had over the years, so I'm very curious to see what choice Adam makes. It would certainly be a blow to Jack if Adam were to come after his company -- especially since Jack is already reeling from his own son Kyle preparing to stab him in the back now that Kyle has taken over Glissade and plans to use it to compete directly against Jabot.

Kyle, Kyle, Kyle... what are we to do with him? He certainly is spinning out a bit lately, isn't he? But I suppose it makes sense, given his current situation. All the people that he used to be closest with (his parents and his ex-wife Summer) are now seemingly his enemies. Meanwhile, he's buddying up to and working alongside Victor and Audra, two people whom he previously considered his enemies.

His world has essentially been flipped upside down, so it's no wonder he's a bit erratic at times. But he needs to recognize when to rein it in and avoid taking his frustrations out on the wrong people. There was no reason for him to lash out at Daniel when his former brother-in-law was trying help him out and give him some advice on how to handle the situation he is in with Summer and Harrison.

Having said that, though, it was still very satisfying when Kyle reminded Summer that he would likely have the upper hand in a custody battle because Summer is not Harrison's biological mother. Maybe it's because I just got so annoyed with Summer complaining about Claire for weeks on end, but she always seems to be overreacting to everything related to Harrison or Kyle. I'm not saying there isn't some cause for concern, given all the upheaval in Kyle's life right now, but there was no reason for her to mention bringing her lawyers into the equation and hinting at going for sole custody of Harrison. Kyle is the biological father, and Summer's only claim to Harrison now is that she is his ex-stepmother; so, she really is playing with fire by opening that door and starting that war. Summer should definitely tread lightly, especially since Kyle seems to be ready for battle with anyone these days.

Of course, Summer has Phyllis for a mother, and I've no doubt that Phyllis would jump at the chance to come up with some sort of plot that discredits Kyle and gets the courts to favor Summer. It certainly wouldn't be the worst thing that Phyllis has ever done! And Phyllis is desperately in need of a new storyline -- or is she? She's certainly been spending a lot of time with Nick lately, and I have a feeling she will be heavily involved in storyline with him soon (but not in the way you might think).

I was reminded this past week why I loved Nick and Phyllis so much as a couple back in the day. Joshua Morrow and Michelle Stafford really do have great chemistry, and their scenes are always so much fun. I know a lot of people might be feeling that the writers are testing the waters with who to put Nick in a relationship with next -- Phyllis or Sharon -- but I'm hopeful that they are taking a different direction. We certainly don't need Phyllis thrown into another messy love triangle so soon after the disaster of a storyline that we recently got when they reignited the Christine/Danny/Phyllis triangle. Instead, I think that Phyllis and Nick's recent interactions are going to end up playing a part in the larger storyline that has been slowly building regarding Sharon's mental health.

We all know how unpredictable Sharon can be when she is off her meds, so there is no telling where her mind might go or what trouble she might create now that she is having problems with the new bipolar medication her doctor switched her to. The cracks are certainly getting larger in Sharon's overall demeanor, and she hasn't been able to hide her mental instability as well lately. Cassie has been coming up a lot, she is interacting with Daniel more, and she has been visibly upset each time she sees Nick and Phyllis together. The difficult circumstances from their shared history related to Cassie's death keep being flung back in Sharon's face, and it's only a matter of time before she snaps in some way.

I'm sort of on the edge of my seat every time we see Sharon now because I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. The storytelling has been a nice, slow burn that I've really been enjoying, and I'm hoping that we won't be disappointed by whatever it is all leading up to.

Speaking of slow burns, Nate and Audra finally made it from the boardroom to the bedroom this past week. After Audra explained to Nate about the rock and the hard place she finds herself between while working alongside Kyle in her new position as co-CEO of Glissade, Nate was able to find a way to get her mind off business for a little while by taking her out to watch the sunset with a cup of his oolong tea. And that's not the only thing he gave her, because they both ultimately ended up giving in to their passion for one another and had a "no strings attached" romp.

I have been wanting these two to hook up forever! I still remember when Audra first showed up in Genoa City, and she had her eye on Nate even back then (when he was still with Elena). I always thought they had great chemistry, and I have enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve over the years into what it is now. The timing for them seems to be right, and it really felt like a genuine progression of their relationship. I know Audra insisted that she doesn't want romance with Nate, but I have a feeling he will be the one to show her that she can balance her career with a quality personal life. Their scenes felt genuine and intimate, and I am anxious to see what is next for them.

Another new romance that I am still loving is Traci and Alan -- and they finally kissed this week! Their scenes are always so sweet. I love seeing Traci's character finally getting her own story and some romance again -- she deserves it! And it was fun that Danny and Christine got to meet Alan and go on a double date with them while they were in town for Danny's concert. These scenes in Paris were a fun break from all the other drama going on back in Genoa City.

On a final note before I sign off, I just wanted to add that I thought it was nice to see Katie start to thaw toward her newly discovered sister, Claire. I was surprised when she grabbed Claire by the arm and trotted out of the park with her. Maybe it just took Katie seeing how close Claire and Harrison were to finally make her to want to make an effort to get to know Claire more -- although I have a feeling these two will be butting heads in the years to come and may have a relationship similar to the one between their mother and uncle, Victoria and Adam. Katie will likely always be on her guard where Claire is concerned, much like Victoria is toward Adam, even if they get along from time to time. Sibling rivalry is certainly not a new concept within the Newman family!

Well, that's all from me for this week, folks. Don't forget to share your opinions on this past week, too, in the Comments here on the site and on social media posts throughout the week!

Until next time,Vance

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