As we celebrated April Fools' Day and pranked all of our friends, I wondered just how many of our beloved ones in Genoa City unintentionally played the fool this week. Honestly, it's not a hard thing to become a fool. It happens all the time, and anyone can play the part, no matter the age, sex, race, or even financial status. Oh yes, even the almighty Victor Newman can act the fool, although he would never admit it. And if anyone tried to play him for a fool, that person's head would roll! Victor, the king, doesn't take being made a fool of lightly.
Just ask Jack Abbott. I think that's part of the reason that Victor continues his never-ending vendetta against Jack. Victor and Jack always try to get the best of each other in their many battles, which Victor would see as Jack trying to play him for a fool. And dear Vic doesn't take too kindly to that. But Victor would totally disagree with Dorothy Parker's saying, "Scratch a king and find a fool!" Well, at least he would never see himself that way. King Victor prides himself on besting others. Pity the fool who tries to make Victor Newman the fool!
I love the Welsh saying, "If every fool wore a crown, we should all be kings." I mean, really, haven't we all acted as a fool at one time or another? Or made some seriously foolish mistakes? I know that I sure have. But hopefully, we all have learned from these mistakes, which helped us to become stronger and wiser. But I am not sure that Victor ever learns from his mistakes, which could someday (some year!) end up being his biggest downfall. Nikki has tried to help him, especially with his kids, to no avail. She can only do so much and he has to be willing to learn and even to compromise, but I don't see that ever happening. Long reign King Victor, at least in his own mind.
When Victor stressed to his grandson, Reed, the importance of learning strategy to preserve your kingdom during their chess match, it was clear that Victor often used this same approach in protecting his family. And you know that Victor's number one rule was to protect the king, especially a king in jeopardy, because the king was the heart of his empire. At least, that's what Victor said to Reed about chess, and you know that was Victor's own technique as king over his own territory and family. (By the way, I love having Max Page back as Reed. He is getting so big! Ahhh...they grow so fast. I am still very glad that Y&R did not age Reed when they aged most of the other youngsters. I am always happy for Max's return as Reed.)
Funny how it was Nikki who actually reminded Victor that while the king may be the ruler, the queen was actually far more powerful. And in Nikki's case, I wish it were truer than what it actually is. Nikki's love for her husband actually blinds her to him and some of his dastardly deeds at times. Nikki even remarked that loving Victor Newman wasn't just something she felt, it was part of who she was. Yikes! However, I enjoy watching her when she does try to put her foot down and actually tries to rein him in. It rarely works though.
Victor seems to love the control over his children more than the kids themselves, and this tends to backfire on him. He never really wants them to find their own way to happiness; he only does what he thinks should make them happy. Nick and Victoria have turned their backs on him time and time again in the past due to his manipulations, and Adam was constantly at war with Victor. All of his children have only desired his love and respect, but he just seems unable to give it. Nikki even noted that his kids needed to see his concern and love for them.
And then we have Abby. Victor seemed very willing to get to know Tyler at the boxing ring and, outside of the warning to never harm his daughter, was very cordial to Tyler. It was rather frightening, if you think about it. What would be scarier -- to know that the great and powerful Victor Newman was out to destroy you or to falsely believe that you had the great manipulator on your side, even as he plotted behind your back to annihilate your whole world? Let the debate begin.
On a side note, I was actually a part of a debate once in a speech class. This was back when the rumors were out that Paul McCartney had died and that an imposter had taken his place. You know, back in the old days. Our class was split into two sections: our group researched for proof that Paul was alive, and the other group had to find the evidence that he had died. Good luck with that. Needless to say, our group won. The evidence for Victor's debate would be very easy to find for either side. He is very dangerous, no matter which angle you view him from. If you are involved with any of Victor's kids, watch out! And Tyler will probably wind up learning that the hard way.
Sure, Victor was nice enough at the Athletic Club because he believed that Abby was just dating Tyler. But once he learned that Tyler and Abby are engaged, I had a feeling that the gloves would come off (boxing!) and that Tyler would suddenly be on Victor's radar. I just hope that Abby is savvy enough to be on alert. But wait...even after learning of the couple's spontaneous engagement, Victor was remarkably calm and civil. He even went so far as to welcome Tyler to the family, although he did request a long engagement. What? I don't know. If I were Tyler and Abby, I still wouldn't trust him. Honestly, they should be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And of course, Nick was still Sharon's champion as he defended her to his father at the Underground. (Good grief, Victor really was everywhere!) Little did they know that fake Cassie was hiding out as she listened to Nick list all of Victor's crimes against Sharon. Nick also believed that Victor's family engagement celebration for Abby and Tyler was just a ploy to get him back into Nick's and Victoria's good graces. Victor mumbled some stuff about protecting his family and righteousness and then claimed that he only wanted bygones to be bygones as far as Sharon was concerned. Yeah, right! All is surely forgiven and forgotten in Victor's eyes, Sharon.
Oh, but actually Victor did realize that the phony baloney Cassie was there, and he demanded that she get out of town. After Victor blared that he never wanted to see the red-haired girl's face again, Cassie reflected that it had once been the face of the granddaughter that he had loved. However, Victor pointed out that his granddaughter had been a sweet girl unlike the imposter. Wow, that was rather harsh even if it was true. Y&R fan Cathy observed:
I don't know. That's pretty out there. All indications were that Victor concocted this whole fake Cassie scheme. And I can't see the lively, spirited Phyllis pretending to be in a coma for this long. Not when her daughter, Summer, so desperately needs her. I do think that Phyllis will awaken from her coma to hopefully give us the grand finale of the paternity storyline, even if Michelle Stafford is not the one playing her. If the results show that Nick is actually Summer's father, I have very much enjoyed watching Jack try to establish a relationship with the girl that he believed to be his daughter. And it also should prove interesting to see Jack interact with Cady McClain's Kelly.
And speaking of Kelly (still played by Cynthia Watros), after Jill called her a trollop, a tart, and a hussy, Jack and Lauren both advised that Jill to stay out of Billy's affair. So to speak. Well, actually, it was just a one-night stand. Lauren had the best line of the week when she said, "No outsider can jeopardize a marriage without permission." How true! Jack still wanted to date "the sleazy, home wrecker, gold-digger tramp," as Kelly referred to herself. Well, I think we have the colorful adjectives for Kelly pretty much covered now. No, actually Abby had a few more: "home-wrecking, hoochie mama." Jack does seem smitten with the lady though. I can't wait to see their date.
Back to Nick, he appeared to be returning to the role of Sharon's savior -- a not very popular role with the fans, I am sure. He volunteered to stay with her upon her return home and act as her nursemaid. That would be okay as long as he does not resort back to trying to rescue Sharon every time she sneezes. Sharon has actually been attempting to stand on her own two feet for a change, and I would like to see her continue to grow stronger and more independent. She may need that once the truth comes out about the possibly altered lab results of Summer's paternity test. But since even she can no longer remember this, it may be a while before the truth is revealed. (Whatever the truth is.)
Actually, I think that the electroconvulsive therapy has helped Sharon. She sure was acting more level-headed and realistic than she has in years. As much as she wanted to hear Nick's words of "I love you," and as much as she wanted to say those very words herself, she knew that they needed to take things slowly. And she even mentioned that she didn't want Nick to confuse rescuing her with being in love. She and the writers have been paying attention to the fans! It didn't stop Sharon from kissing Nick though.
The gaps in her memory were still a problem for Sharon, and she was surprised to hear that Phyllis was in a coma and located in Georgia. She wondered what had happened to her dear archenemy. Boy, her memory was spottier than she thought! Sharon exclaimed that Phyllis hadn't fallen down the stairs because she had been there. And that the person had actually been Summer, not Phyllis. Psych! The writers sure had us going there for a minute.
Nick reminded Sharon that the memories were in her head and that they would resurface eventually. Hopefully for us, sooner rather than later. Wasn't it convenient that the only gaps in her memory were the very secrets that she had been dreading to tell Nick? Sharon sure had a serious case of selective memory because she recollected very vivid details of other past events to Nick. How convenient for her! Running away will not help her in the long run, even if her avoidance is subconscious.
In the meantime, Victoria was actually doing something that her dear old dad would approve of and that was to drift farther and farther away from "Billy Boy." After she had Billy sign the official papers for a legal separation, she drank with Stitch to celebrate. Thankfully, Stitch realized that they were both too drunk to drive, so he called a cab to take them home. But he couldn't stop Victoria from climbing into her car, and they both ended up in the back seat. And you know what happens when two (drunk) people, who are very much attracted to each other, wind up in the back seat of a car. Oh yes, they made love, and I was glad to hear Victoria later say that she didn't regret it. At least she was being honest with Stitch and with herself. Good for her!
However, Stitch regretted that their "first time" had been in the back seat of a car and that he had left her alone afterwards. Then Nikki walked up and saw them kiss. Once Nikki expressed her fears that Victoria was trying to level the playing field with the "friendly, innocent kiss," Victoria informed Nikki that Billy had just been with Kelly in the park -- again! Billy sure doesn't do himself any favors. But we now know that Stitch was drinking because his ex-wife wanted to move to Australia and take their son with her. Stitch should definitely file a custody lawsuit!
Billy believed that selling the restaurant and working back at Jabot would help him to grow up and save his marriage because the only lesson he could take from Delia's death was to make the most out of the time with your loved ones. Unfortunately, Abby's bad timing with the news that she had seen Victoria with Stitch at the bar had Billy running out of the office. And even worse, he found her in the park with Stitch. He demanded to know if she had slept with Stitch, but does he really want to know that? And should Victoria even tell him? He was married to Victoria at the time he cheated, but now Victoria and Billy are legally separated. His demands are going to push her even farther away. So much for giving her the space that he acknowledged she needed.
I honestly have not been able to see the same amazing on-screen chemistry with Victoria and David Tom's Billy as I did with her and Billy Miller's Billy. And I have tried. The sizzle just isn't there. At this point, I would not be unhappy to see them split up. These two characters should move on and be matched up with someone else who would ignite the fireworks. Y&R fan Kathleen agrees:
And Y&R fan Karen added:
For me, it was never about Mr. Tom's age or looks. Although I did find it amusing when Nikki told Billy not to depend on his "baby-face charm" to save his marriage. But, I guess in a way, it has been about his looks for me because I can still picture Billy Miller's Billy flashing Victoria that wicked grin, and she would just melt. So, it would be about his looks in the way that they would react to each other. It was this attraction to each other that they could so easily convey on-screen. I am missing that with David Tom's Billy when he is around Victoria.
Victor was certainly into just about everyone's business because he also had Cane still trying to discover the identity of the culprit who had set Victor up in the Bonaventure shenanigans. Apparently, the guy had just disappeared. But at least, finally, Cane admitted to Lily that he truly did want to act as CEO again. He really needed to be honest with both himself and Lily. Cane would never have been content just running the Athletic Club, as much as he wanted to believe that. Sad to say, Colin was right about Cane. He is more like his papa than he thought. Hopefully, Cane hasn't picked up all of Colin's nasty little habits though.
That didn't mean that Lily wasn't going to try to sway Cane into staying with her at the Athletic Club however. She used all of her feminine wiles and promises of future business benefits through the ruse of sexy, risqué lingerie to encourage Cane to weigh out his options. And it almost worked. Almost. While Cane noticed that Lily had blossomed in her new job, he realized that he needed more. I think he meant more of a challenge in corporate business, not more sex on his office desk.
Wow, can you imagine how much work would get done if everyone who worked in an office setting wiped off their desk at a moment's notice for that occasional fling as it so often happens in soaps? Almost none! I have worked in an office atmosphere all my life, and I am trying to remember the last time that happened to me. Hmmm...how about never! Are you kidding? Some of the desks where I currently work are so piled with paperwork that it would take a good month to reorganize them if they were to be swooshed to the floor. Talk about counterproductive. I can't imagine what excuse you would give for not being able to meet your deadline. Another pressing matter came up?
But somehow at Jabot Cosmetics or at just about any other business in Genoa City, for that matter, they seem to have these instant, spontaneous romps penciled into their schedules. The phone never rings. Very rarely does someone walk in and interrupt. And if a coworker did, how would the unexpected interloper react? It would probably be something like, "Oh, okay, it's just another office fling on a desk." Ha! It does make for great TV but I just don't think it would ever work in "the real world."
Anyway, back to Victor. (After all, isn't everything always about Victor?) He called Chelsea and told her that his private investigator had traced Chelsea's last phone call to...New Orleans! Wow, I wonder if it's really Adam and if he's in New Orleans. He certainly has a fondness for the city. I can't say that I blame him. My husband and I were just there in September, and we sat on the balcony at Place d' Armes Hotel, which is within walking distance of both Bourbon Street and Café Du Monde. Somehow, I just can't see Adam staying at the Place d'Armes, although he might be spotted indulging in a couple of beignets at the Café Du Monde. Oh, and the baked spaghetti at Mother's Restaurant -- it's to die for! Mother's has the best food. If you are indeed in New Orleans, Adam, give it a try.
All right, enough about food. It's making me hungry. Chelsea was still convinced that Adam had somehow survived the crash and that he was still alive. But alas, Victor called her with the news that dental records had determined that a John Doe two counties down was, in fact, Adam Newman. But we know that someone lying in a bed paid off "the right people" and that Victor would not be happy. Adam, is that you?? We know it is, you little devil. We are confident that Adam Newman will return one day in one form or another. I don't know if he will be a recast that everyone will immediately recognize or if his injuries will necessitate facial surgery...but time will tell. He will return to Chelsea, Connor, and all of Genoa City one day. (Even Victor!)
I wonder if the writers would even consider going back to that storyline. I have never wanted for Adam to be the hit-and-run-driver after everything else that he had actually done, especially since he was trying to become a better person for his wife and son. I truly enjoyed Adam with Chelsea and I sincerely believed that they brought out the best in each other. Well, okay, maybe it was more that Chelsea brought out the humanity in Adam. I just hope that the new Adam can give us that humanity also. Y&R fan Jenny remarks:
I am not sure that the powers that be for any soap realize just how sad it is for the fans to lose our beloved characters and it was especially hard to lose so many at one time. We have all had to grieve and to mourn our loss. Fans still send comments regarding the exits of Michelle Stafford, Billy Miller and Michael Muhney. Those three very talented actors were very beloved to us, and we still miss them. And now we will add Elizabeth Hendrickson to that list. All we can do is wish her the best of luck in her career as we get used to the idea of no more Chloe.
Michael and Lauren were very concerned over dear Chloe, and they should be. Chloe just hasn't been as vibrant and annoyingly effervescent as she once was. And Kevin kept trying to pretend that everything was just fine when it really wasn't. Kevin just didn't want to see what was right in front of his eyes. Chloe was not happy. At all. And there was nothing that he could do to help her, as much as he tried. Certainty and security weren't going to solve all of their problems, although I appreciated that Kevin noted the irony to Michael of him being the one trying to give that to her. Certainty and security have never been Kevin's strong suit.
Chloe constantly made it obvious that she didn't want Kevin to touch her in any way, and she absolutely wanted no closeness from him. Of course, we see that this is leading to her to be written out of the show, but it's still sad, considering how much Kevin loves her. Again, I have always believed that Kevin loves Chloe more than she loves him, and at this point, I think she would prefer to be away from him. His grand gesture has become more of a burden to her because now she owes him more than ever. Kevin needs to see that nothing he can do at this point is going to help her. Chloe needs to heal on her own.
Chloe then noticed that Chelsea was avoiding her and had neglected to even show her the fashion sketches for the show. Chelsea believed that she was trying to spare both of them, but she also admitted that she felt guilty for keeping Chloe from seeing Connor. Chloe only saw that Chelsea was pushing her out of their lives. Without Chelsea and Connor, Chloe will truly feel that she has lost everything. I am sure that she will need to get away from the reminders of the hurt and pain. That will be when Chloe will leave Genoa City to perhaps return down the road.
Devon greeted Neil and Hilary upon their return from Los Angeles, and they told him of their fun business trip where she played Plinko, rolled the big wheel, and met host, Drew Carey, on The Price is Right. Maybe Neil and Hilary pranked themselves with their wacky Oklahoma State University Cowboys outfits. Thankfully, Neil decided to retire his ensemble before his business meeting. No fashion statement there!
I have to admit that Devon sure seemed a little jealous when he heard that his dad and Hilary had shared a room, even though they stressed that there had been no hanky-panky. We may be headed for a triangle, after all, with Neil, Devon, and the sassy lassie. Father and son duking it out for the affections of the lady they love -- now, that's what soaps are all about.
Hilary also inspired Neil with an amazing idea for the fashion show: real people on the runway. Or, as Hilary put in, "Welcome to the real models of Genoa City." Of course, Neil wanted his daughter, Lily, who also was a former spokesmodel, to be part of this venture. And he also insisted that Hilary take part as well. Oh yes, this is going to be one lively fashion show. Grab the popcorn and watch the entertainment. I have a feeling that it will be more excitement than Neil bargained for.
It looks like Leslie will have her hands full for a while between helping to plan Abby and Tyler's wedding and defending Ian Ward, who just never seems to go away. And Leslie learned the famous secret information that Ian and Willa were alluding to but, she won't be able to say anything due to attorney/client privilege. At least she got ammunition for his defense. Of course, we are all still thinking this secret could very well be that Ian knows that Paul is Dylan's father, so I wonder how long we will have to wait for the confirmation that this is true.
Good for Summer! She stood up to Ian and thanked him for helping her realize that she is much stronger than she had thought. Summer understood that she could turn to her family who loved her for the person she was. You could see that Jack was touched and was also very proud of her. I know that he will eventually be devastated if and when he learns that he is not really Summer's biological father, and I am not looking forward to seeing that. Jack loves Summer, and I am sure that he will continue to do so if that turns out to be the case, just as Nick still sees Summer as his daughter. Still, I wish that Jack could continue to be the father of Summer, the daughter of the woman that he loves so very dearly.
Wow, we haven't seen Fen in ages, and apparently, Fen hasn't seen Summer or Courtney in some time either. Actually, even though Summer's brother is dating Courtney, she didn't appear to have seen Courtney as well. But since Courtney is dating Noah, why wouldn't Summer know about Courtney's job? I guess Summer hasn't seen Noah in a while. Or maybe Noah just didn't think it was his news to share. Anyway, Summer was stunned to learn that Courtney was a cop, and Courtney even had to show Summer her badge to prove it. Summer wasn't kidding when she said that she could no longer trust Courtney.
But Courtney and Summer decided to remain BFFs, since they were both on the path away from drugs. There's that word again: path. Actually, I knew something was up when Courtney arrived at Crimson Lights, no longer wearing her uniform, since we had just seen her in one with Noah at Sharon's. And didn't she look cute in her new cop outfit? I doubt if a cop really wants to look "cute" in a uniform, but Courtney did. And some folks do get turned on by people wearing uniforms. Apparently, Noah is one of those. So, it's no more undercover work for Courtney. From now on, just call her "Officer Sloan." Y&R fan Dayzee says:
Now that would be a good twist. Since Courtney is a cop, it would be interesting to see who would try to protect whom. And it would give these two young characters a more involving and gritty story filled with some gripping drama. Let's hope that the writers listen to your suggestion, Dayzee.
For heaven's sake, where on earth has Michael been? Seriously, he must have been the last person in Genoa City to learn that Neil and Leslie had broken off their engagement. But I admit that he had been a little distracted with celebrating Fen's choice to attend an out-of-state college, being proud of Fen for wanting to follow his dad's career as an attorney, and reflecting back on how miserable Fen's "growing-up years" had been. Oh, the painful memories of Sheila! Michael was glad to close that chapter of his life and to finally be free to enjoy his time alone with Lauren, once Fen left home for college.
But wait! Lauren had astounding news for Michael. She may be pregnant. To say Michael was excited would be a total overstatement, but he did admit that compared to the year they had just gone through, dirty diapers, colic, and sleepless nights would be a breeze. And that's saying a lot! But then I remember what they had gone through, and he is right. Hopefully we can put that entire segment out of our minds for good!
Oh well, at least Michael wouldn't have to suffer the pangs of empty nest syndrome. And at least we wouldn't have to trudge through another "Who's your daddy" storyline if Lauren is indeed with child. It's been way too long since she was last with Carmine, so the baby would have to be Michael's. Thank goodness! Since we know that Chloe will be leaving soon, she wouldn't have time to become obsessed over this new little one. Let us cross our fingers that the news, if true, doesn't bring Carmine and his obsession with Lauren back to town. It's not your kid, Carmine!
As Dylan and Avery hoped that they had seen the last of the likes of Ian and Willa, Avery watched her hot-and-sweaty self making her famous key lime pie on the video that Dylan had submitted for the baking contest. Oh, I love key lime pie! (I'm getting hungry again.) Avery joked that she must have had the oven on too high because she looked hot in that kitchen. Or maybe she wasn't joking. Nah, she said it in fun.
But then Avery learned that a television producer of a New York show wanted to fly her in for a meeting, and before Dylan could build her a trophy case for all her Emmys, Avery reminded him that it was just for a guest appearance. But she needed someone to cover her cases while she was gone, so she turned to Michael. I guess her partner's hands were still too full of Ian.
Michael accepted Avery's caseload and then lamented that he might not be able to spend time alone with Lauren as he had wished. He quoted the old adage, "Man plans, God laughs." I have never heard that one, but it accurately describes the twists and turns that life can throw at us. Sometimes just when we think we are headed in a new direction on our life's path, an obstacle can send us on a detour. Path again? Ugh.
Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:
I loved Nikki's remark, "It's never too late to reach out to the ones you love." Victor claimed, "As the saying goes," but I had never heard it as a saying, and I couldn't find anything about it online. That doesn't mean that it isn't one though.
As Cane kissed Lily, he remarked to her that he could not see because his glasses were all fogged up. That was very funny since, as Lily observed, Cane didn't wear glasses. They are cute together.
Chloe had a funny line also when she pointed out that if it weren't for Kevin, she would be "locked up in a psych ward, trying to convince patients to have their highlights done." Although Chloe seems to have lost her spark, she tried to get a little of it back with that line.
Billy, Billy, Billy...never say that it can't get much worse. That's just tempting fate, my boy! Believe me, it can always get worse, and it usually does, especially on a soap!
Again, great writing when Ian said that he doesn't force women to do his bidding. That kind of quip reminds me of a handlebar-mustached villain, wringing his hands as he contemplates how he will defeat the hero to capture the body, if not the heart, of the damsel in distress. Ian would be right at home, sneering and wickedly laughing, in a melodrama.
Paul also wanted to get into the act, so he warned Victor to share any information about Adam, resulting from his own private investigation, with the police. Paul hinted that the district attorney could possibly bring up charges of aiding and abetting or of obstruction of justice if Victor refused. Gutsy, Paul! Needless to say, Victor saw that as a threat and was not smiling. Careful, Paul!
Thinking back on past zany April Fools' Day jokes or pranks, I can remember back in the seventies, the TV Guide magazine used to have a small insert of the television shows with fake hysterical episode descriptions during the week of April Fools' Day. I miss those! Also, the Lansing State Journal newspaper in Lansing, Michigan, would put out what they called the Lansing Stale Journal during the week of April Fools' Day with phony newsworthy events of the community with the proceeds going to charity. Humorous, stylistic, and beneficial -- I wonder if they still do it.
What are your thoughts on The Young and the Restless? 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.
