It was definitely a week for confession on The Young and the Restless. In almost every interaction, someone confessed something to a second party as very shocking secrets were revealed. I was decidedly rocked at the end of Friday's episode when Sharon threw that neck-breaking thing at Nick. I haven't had time to do research or contact Bessie, my friendly encyclopedia. I don't remember the incident happening, so I don't know if this is a new twist in the writing -- a rewrite of history -- or if it's one of those things that was inserted years ago, like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode. Either way, I'm glad Sharon finally has some leverage because I think the way Nick, Summer, and the entire Newman family have been treating Sharon is awful and completely unjustified.
When Sharon burst into Nick's canned food closet, fully intending to confess about her interview with Austin, but instead found Nick in the afterglow of canoodling with Sage, a presumably married woman, I could fully understand Sharon's frustration and hurt. Sharon has been walking on eggshells around Nick so she can keep seeing Faith, not to mention that she trusted Nick when he said that "NOTHING" (pardon the shouting) he could ever find out about Sharon could stop him from loving her. Liar, liar pants on fire! Come on Nick, Sharon had a medically treatable problem, which had already been successfully treated when you found out her secret. Give the woman a break. Use some common sense.
Not that common sense and Nick have more than a passing acquaintance, because, let's face it, when Nick had that conversation last week with Summer about the past and forgiveness and moving on, my first thought -- and probably yours, too -- was, "Why isn't he saying these same things to Sharon?" who had warned Nick that her secret was dire even as he insisted that he would never let her down. Nick was adamant that nothing would change his mind. Didn't Nick ask himself how he could break his word or why he could so easily renege on his promise, or why he felt that what Sharon had done was worse than what he, Phyllis, Victor or Nikki, to name a few, had done over the years in the name of love?
Nick and Sharon will eventually get back together, despite Nick's current infatuation with Sage, the rebound girl. Sage pronounced her experience with Nick as incredible, but having had my prurient interest slaked to the point of having to cover my eyes and peek through my fingers at those intensely titillating loves scenes between Nick and Sharon last summer, I confess that Sage and Nick rated three yawns and a fast-forward as penance. One hopes that Nick will eventually notice the difference also. Again makes me think less of Nick because he can't tell the difference.
Watching how Nick treated Sharon on Friday, I realized that Nick is an abuser. He is not physically abusive, but he is emotionally abusive to Sharon, and only to Sharon. She is the dog that he kicks, and Sharon takes it because she loves Nick. I think a lot of relationships are like that in lesser and greater degrees. I don't find it objectionable as long as the one who gets hot and blows up has the proper appreciation (and shows it) for the one who stays cool and doesn't take it personally.
Nick and Sharon are past that now. I don't know whose neck got broken or what Sharon knows, but I'm behind her blackmail scheme 100%. Let Nick suck it up for a change. He made promises to Sharon that he did not keep. Nick is not a man of honor and cannot be trusted to keep his word without being coerced. Let's see if Sharon actually has something on him, and if she does, will she have the guts to go through with it? I'm firmly Team Sharon, so I hope she will, but just like Jack is the perpetual loser, Sharon is the perpetual doormat and usually pulls her punches just in time to get sucker-punched in the gut.
I have to confess that I misquoted Bessie in my last column when I was discussing the possibilities of who might be the confederate in the confessional with Victor. Bessie's guess is that it is a Jack doppelgänger on the other side of the wall. Could be. It could also be an undead Austin or an undead Kelly. Austin may be actually dead, but Kelly is most certainly alive. (No way do I believe that she committed suicide.) It could also be Joe Clark. Victor made a confession of sorts to Victoria about his bad intentions toward Jack. Bessie made me laugh when she told me that Victor's new name in cyberspace is "Vicapone," which I find very appropriate. Vicapone is surely the kind of guy who is more likely to be collecting souls than confessing sins and saying novenas. Victor fits that description perfectly.
Though I am not a proponent of violence in real life, I was glad when Noah clocked Kyle after Kyle confessed to writing on Sharon's mirror. What a jerk. I can't imagine either one of the previous Kyles doing something like that. I confess that I am probably biased because this Kyle seems way too young for the role, and I don't care for this particular actor, but on the bright side, if Kyle turns out to be the killer and they send him off to jail, I'll be okay with that. And by the way, treating Sharon like he did was very disrespectful of her illness and another example of one more person treating Sharon like a doormat.
What is it with Stitch, drinking, and showers? I can see how learning that his sister had committed suicide might have caused Stitch to hoist a few, but of all the people that he might have confessed his secret to, telling blabbermouth Abby that he showered with Ashley seems like a surefire way to push Victoria back into Billy's arms when she finds out. That sounds like remarkably fair penance. Stitch slept with Victoria when she was married to Billy. Now Billy can comfort Victoria while she is cohabiting with Ben. Fair is fair, and we are back to square one with Billy, Victoria, and their 2.5 children in a happy home surrounded by a white picket fence, all ready for the cycle of upheaval to begin again.
After admitting that she framed Phyllis, Kelly fled town and promptly committed suicide, or so the photos Victor gave Phyllis indicated. Jack confessed his guilt about the part he played in Kelly's suicide, and Phyllis comforted him, openly glad that Kelly was out of their lives. But is she out? I don't think so. I'm thinking Fatal Attraction without the "fatal." Victor, the soulless, has something very nasty planned for Jack. Victor is doling out his form of penance to Jackie boy, who has to pay for just being Jack, the entitled rich man's son. I have a hunch that if Victor gets his way, the only thing Jack will have left is a simpering Kelly to console him. I was thinking, if Jack and Phyllis are "Jackyll," does that make Jack and Kelly "Jelly"? Just a thought.
I confess that I see Kelly as an even more tragic figure than Sharon. She is also at the mercy of powerful men like Victor and Jack. Jack should bear some responsibility. He made promises to both Kelly and Phyllis, and he broke his promises to both of them. Personally, I would have never given Jack another chance if I were in either woman's shoes. I am way too selfish to put up with untrustworthy behavior in my actual living space.
Had I been Sharon, Nick would also have been history the first time he cheated on me, and there would be no Faith, because I would have moved on. Ditto if I were Phyllis and woke from a coma to find my fiancé redecorating our room with his new inamorata. But then again, the dating pool in Genoa City is limited, so I guess you have to settle for what you can get if you don't want to end up bitter and alone. Or maybe a happier alternative, alone, with plenty of soothing libations, a houseful of pets, and a bunch of friends, both real and imaginary, which, hopefully, you can tell apart.
In other confessions heard around town, Lauren confessed her fears about Michael's cancer to Cane, who comforted her with his own experience with Lily's cancer. Later, Cane confessed to Michael that he wanted to oust Jill as CEO of Chancellor. Michael confessed that he was uncomfortable with that. Noah confessed his fears about Sharon to Dylan. Gabriel almost confessed to Chelsea that he loved her. Chelsea did confess to Sage that Gabriel had reawakened her love for Adam. Sage in turn, confessed to Gabriel that she had slept with Nick. Gabriel was mollified to learn that Chelsea had confessed her love for Adam to Sage. Neil confessed that he was responsible for the loss of Christine's child. Hilary confessed that she was interested in Neil for personal gain. (Note to Devon: If Hilary really didn't love you, she would have taken you away from Genoa City, gotten a quickie divorce from Neil, married you, taken you to the cleaners, divorced you, and then moved back to Genoa City and flaunted herself. Instead, she broke up with you. That's as good of a confession of love -- very Gift of the Magi-ish -- as you are ever going to get.)
SPOILER ALERT: A recent article on Soap Central quoted Eileen Davidson as saying that Ashley's true paternity is about to be revealed. Everyone in Genoa City will learn that she is not John Abbott's biological daughter, a secret known only to Jack, Ashley, Victor, and a few million fans for the past 30 or so years. Bessie and I were discussing the repercussions. At first we didn't see many, then we realized that there would be a lot more than we first thought. Think about the effect on Abby alone. She will no longer be an Abbott, only a Newman -- actually a reverse Summer, except that the truth was withheld from Abby by both her mother and father for her whole life, not just a year, as in Summer's case. Makes Nick and Summer's whining about Sharon's misdeeds pale by comparison. And the dating dynamics -- Abby could have been dating Billy because she has no biological ties to him, but now, after all this time, that just sounds terribly, terribly wrong, and I don't think I could accept it even if they aren't related by blood.
Happy anniversary and congratulations to Dan Kroll, the founder and guiding genius behind 20 years of Soap Central. What an amazing accomplishment by a dedicated, determined, hard-working man. Thank you, Dan, for all you have done during the last 20 years to enhance and enrich the soap experience for every one of us. I wish you at least 20 more! Listen to Justin Hartley (Adam) and other daytime stars celebrate the milestone in a very special podcast.
I see by the old clock on the wall that it's time to conclude this week's meeting of Soapaholics Anonymous. I confess that, like Nick, I value no one's opinion as much as I value my own, at least when I'm with my imaginary friends, who are really good at listening and not interrupting. Until next we meet at Crimson Lights, I offer this prayer of contentment for all you fan addicts. "Dear Lord, please give me the courage to value the opinion of my friends, both real and imaginary, and the insight to know the difference."
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