This was the week for the big reveal for Tucker and Devon. Since we, as viewers, have been speculating for months about who the son might be -- and have known for weeks -- learning that Devon was Tucker's son wasn't much of a shocker. But I liked the way Tucker took it, though. Kudos to Stephen Nichols, whom I've been in love with since his days as Patch on Days of our Lives, for seizing the moment and delivering the goods as Tucker McCall.
Tucker tried to do the right thing by immediately going to Devon with the information. He wants to have a relationship with Devon. Tucker's ready to be a father, if he gets the chance. On the other hand, I also fully understand Devon's point of view. Sure, as a kid who's been kicked around in foster care, he's always wanted to know his real father, but Tucker is not what he had in mind. Tucker is the former boss who dumped him unceremoniously when Devon lost his number one music act, Noah. Devon was not inclined to embrace Tucker after having been treated so badly by him. Now, should Tucker have been nicer about firing Devon back then? Sure, but that was business, and Tucker has never pretended that he's anything other than a tough, hard-hearted businessman.
But is Victor any less tough? What about Jack, you think he's a pussycat? Heck, even Neil can be an S.O.B. in the boardroom. Sure, they can be nice to employees when they're members of the family, but that's not always enough. Look at what Victor's done to his children in the name of business? And haven't Ashley and Jack been at each other's throats over Jabot? In other words, if Tucker had known that Devon was his son, he probably wouldn't have dumped him from McCall's music division over the Noah situation -- but eventually he might have found another reason to drop him. And as for Kay, there was no way she would have created a record label if she hadn't known that Devon was her grandchild! That was unadulterated nepotism.
Tucker was one hundred percent correct when he accused Kay of using Devon like a weapon against him. It is a game to her. She'd been using the new record label as a way to win Devon's affection, and it was working. Look at how Devon went to the hospital after her stroke, or even his appearance at the arbitration hearing in support of Kay. It made sense that Neil was there; he's running Chancellor for Kay. But Devon? That was something new.
In truth, Devon had no business being at the hearing. But since he was there, he got to see Kay get squashed in court. Of course, she played the victim, the poor put-upon mother who'd only been looking out for Tucker's best interest -- by stealing one of the major firms in his conglomerate. Kay had gone after Jabot because she wanted it; she stole it out from under Tucker while he was suffering from a brain injury. That's despicable, no matter how you cut it. For Kay to pretend that she was doing it to protect Tucker is a monstrous lie. She schemed and manipulated like a shark.
So Tucker used the same kind of despicable tactics to get Jabot back. He appealed to Jack to get him to turn on Kay, and while it was diabolical, it was typical for this show. The only surprise was that Neil and Kay didn't see it coming. They should have suspected that Jack was vulnerable to a ploy that involved him getting a chance to own Jabot again. And truth be told, Kay had treated Jack like a flunky all the time he's been doing a great job running Jabot. Yes, he was grateful that she gave him a chance, but she also micro-managed him and never failed to remind him that she was the boss. And she would have never given him the opportunity to buy the company again.
While we're on the subject of the Abbotts, a few thoughts about Billy. Do you think Maria Arena Bell knows what Billy did in Myanmar that's so incredibly bad that nobody in his family could ever forgive him? I sure hope so because by not telling us exactly what Billy did that landed him in jail, it's got me thinking that he must have killed someone. Or tried to kill someone. Billy would never rape a woman, so it can't be that... The storyline about his time in the Orient is a good mystery so far, but it better have a great payoff. I don't want to be manipulated like this without discovering that there was something really, really horrible done by Billy, something that would be hard to forgive.
That said, one reader suggested that it would be a great twist if Victor has been pulling the strings on this entire scandal. Perhaps Billy didn't really do anything, but Victor has arranged it to look like he did? And Billy, who may have been drunk or out of it at the time, believed the story he was told about what this giant screw-up he supposedly committed. That would make a lot of sense, actually, because Victor has been desperate to get Billy out of Victoria's life -- permanently. And it's just like Victor to have set up Billy for a major fall like that. And wasn't it curious that it was only Victor who was able to find Billy? Maybe he was able to do that because he knew where Billy had fallen into the Newman trap?
I'm disappointed, though, that Victoria hasn't turned out to be pregnant. I really thought that last encounter with Billy should have resulted in a surprise baby. It would be so perfect for her to learn that the child they always wanted was growing inside her now. Maybe Maria's still going to spring that on us, but Victoria should have had a few symptoms already.
How quickly was Abby's homicidal rage confession tape dismissed so that she got away with a heinous crime? It pays to be a princess, don't you think? Seriously, didn't Ashley think that Abby deserved some punishment for trying to kill Tucker? She is her mother; wouldn't a time out or cutting up her credit cards or something have been called for? Of course, since Abby has half a billion dollars thanks to the trust fund lawsuit, a financial penalty may not work... There should be some consequence, though. Tucker and Ashley have been way too nice about Abby's attempt to kill him.
Jill deserves better from Katherine. She must be exhausted from being Kay's punching bag. I know I am. Kay lied about Devon, and she kept the truth from Tucker, so how is it Jill's fault that they both know now and hate Katherine for her duplicity? Jill was speaking with Mitchell, she didn't know that Tucker would overhear. It was only a matter of time, anyway, before Tucker and Devon learned the truth. Was it really fair of Kay to dump on Jill when Jill was in the hospital and praying for Kay to recover from yet another stroke? By the way, how many strokes has Mrs. Chancellor had now? She may need a brain transplant considering how often her brain bleeds and she's on the verge of death. Do you think she has a really good health plan or is it all covered by Medicare? I mean, seriously, who would insure her?
Here's the thing about Kay and her health issues: if they were real, she'd retire from the stress of running Chancellor Industries because she wants to live. She wouldn't be the first person who chooses to give up the reins and live a quiet life without board meetings, arbitration hearings, corporate shenanigans and duplicitous partnerships. Was Victor really doing Kay a favor when he told her that she should come out of her unconsciousness so they could team up to get back at Tucker and Jack? Of course, what the hell does Victor know about self-preservation? He's walking around with Colleen's heart in his chest, and yet he doesn't act like a man who's living on borrowed time. Point of fact, seven out of ten men only live five years after a heart transplant. That means 30% of those men drop dead. Does it look to you like Victor is doing anything to ensure that he lives to the ripe old age of 80?
I'm officially fed up with Malcolm. Sofia has been completely honest with him about the baby. It's a 50/50 chance that he's the father, and yet Malcolm is acting like the injured party. Why? He had broken up with Sofia when she had the one-night stand -- that really awkward sex on the couch -- with Neil. If Malcolm had not rejected Sofia for her helping Cane, she would not have had an encounter with Neil. It was just one of those things, and if the shoe was on the other foot, Malcolm would expect Sofia to forgive him. But it's not working out that way for Malcolm. He's all hung up on Neil being his brother, Sofia having been his woman, and the two of them betraying him.
Frankly, Malcolm is full of himself. He has an inflated opinion of his own worth. Sofia has bent over backwards -- which is virtually impossible with that belly! -- to try to make up with him. Sofia wants to be Malcolm's wife and for the baby to be raised as his son. So even if Neil were the biological father, Sofia and Malcolm could figure a way to be a family. But Malcolm has just been a jerk about the whole thing. This past week, Sofia finally admitted that yes, she loves Neil. But, come on, if Malcolm had tried even a little bit, she could have made it work with him. Now I'm rooting for Neil and Sofia.
It also looks like Lily is ready to forgive Cane. She's completely forgotten about Daniel, which really tells you that she was using him to get over Cane, doesn't it? Poor Daniel, he's everybody's doormat. Ever since Amber left, he's been Daisy'd, Abby'd and now Lily'd, with nothing to show for it. Shouldn't he be putting all that broken-hearted angst into his paintings? You know what would have been interesting? What if Daniel had flirted with Avery when he met her at Crimson Lights? He didn't know she's his aunt and Avery didn't tell him. That would have been awkward!
That's it for now. I'm anxious to hear more from you all -- your theories are dynamite. And tell me about which characters you'd like to talk about in the Two Scoops! Write me! If you're not sure how to write to me, click the Feedback option at the top of the page, the Email link at the footer of the column, or just click here. Till then, let's take a look at some letters from the mailbox:
Best,
Allison
