Okay, I am aware that the time is drawing near for Simon to leave our fair Genoa City, but I am just not ready to let him go. However, I know I have no choice in this, so the only thing I can do is to give a small tribute to the dorky doctor, whose mission was to develop his miracle cures in order to save lives. What can I say? I must be a sucker for a quirky character. I mean, it breaks my heart, because I believe Dr. Simon Neville had so much potential as a member of our soap family. I was honestly ready for an unorthodox romance to develop between Simon and Ashley, and it looked to be pointed in that direction. But somewhere along the line, that love story got derailed, and now we will be left with only his Simonisms in our memories.
The chemistry between Dr. Neville and Ashley was sweet and adorable. He was so very protective of her when he fought hard to save her life in the only way he knew how -- with his protocol. But even this dynamic rescue wasn't enough to keep them on track, and Simon seemed to be a square made up of all wrong angles. The doctor was totally "obtuse" in the ways of love, even if he was" a cute" guy, "right"? Ha, sorry, I just had to go there. Even a 60s hippy would have accused Simon of being a square, man. And suddenly, Ashley only saw a doctor who cared more for his remedies than he did for his patients. That would have been a rather quick turnabout for Ashley, if we hadn't already been aware that Dr. Neville was on his way out.
So, Simon fans can only hope the writers will find the right equation to bring our eccentric doc back to Genoa City and into Ashley's loving arms. I still feel there's a story there. Ashley could help Simon learn the ways of love, and we could be taken along for the ride in their magical journey. Wouldn't that make for a great story? In a way, Simon reminds me of Todd Manning from One Life to Live and then from General Hospital (before Prospect Park put a halt to that), where Todd and Simon both were absolutely clueless in the romance department. Oh, except Simon was no rapist -- well, not as far as we know. Anyway, I guess I am a just huge champion of the underdog.
At least Simon was chivalrous to the end, when he gallantly took the fall for the altered test results by confessing to the FDA. So even though Hilary had no qualms about throwing both Dr. Neville and Ashley under the bus, Simon sacrificed himself in honor of his lovely lady. Ashley couldn't have a more loyal suitor. This is kind of the stuff great romance novels are made of. It would be such a huge wasted opportunity if Simon didn't return down the line to pick up where he left off -- and to court his fair maiden. Every soap needs a new and fresh storyline, and this one is smacking the writers right in the face.
One person who seems to be pretty much boxed into a corner is Adam, after his dear old dad refused to provide the evidence to prove Adam's innocence, as promised. The roller-coaster ride with Victor just never ends, does it? First, we go up then we go down then we do some loop-de-loops to come to a sudden, jerking end. Talk about going off the tracks. Victor has played so many mind games on Adam, it's lucky the young Mr. Newman is still sane. To think Adam has only ever wanted his father's love, and Victor continues to prove, time and time again, why that's the last thing Adam should ever want.
Adam needs no other enemies with his father on his side, because we all know Victor will just stick it to his younger son again, as soon as he gets the chance. It's a little surprising Victor doesn't have an Adam voodoo doll he can poke pins in for his amusement. But, of course, why would he need that, when he has the real thing to jerk around. Victor was wrong when he told Nikki there are no guarantees in life. Actually, it's pretty much a sure thing Victor will always do whatever he can to make Adam pay for whatever wrongs he supposedly did to Victor -- past, present, and future. Adam can bank on that.
Victor continuously denied knowing where Constance's journal pages where, but we all know his partner in crime, Chloe, is holding them hostage with a cigarette lighter flame pointed in their direction. It must be the soapy suspense that stopped her from setting the proof of Adam's innocence on fire. As much as Chloe hates Adam, you would think those pages would be a distant memory of charred ashes by now. But they also are something she can hold over Adam's head, if the circumstance ever arises. Chloe could become another one of Adam's puppeteers, calling all the shots. Shoot, everyone is pulling Adam's strings these days, except for Adam.
With Chloe, it's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Since she hasn't been anywhere near rational since Delia died, it would be hard to talk any sense into her. Chloe just wouldn't listen to reason. It's funny how Chloe's totally exonerated Billy for her darling daughter's death, even if Billy's carelessness resulted in Delia's demise. Chloe acts like Adam deliberately ran down her precious girl, when it was actually a horrible, tragic accident. It will be interesting to see if Chloe's newest daughter is the product of her last liaison with Kevin or of Billy's implanted sperm. And if the tot is Billy's child, will Chloe ever let Billy know? Or will she be afraid Billy won't keep a watchful eye on Delia 2.0? I do hope the writers go in this direction with Chloe eventually.
But, because Victor reneged on his deal with his son (surprise, surprise), Adam was sentenced on the charge of second-degree intentional homicide for 30 years, which most certainly trumphs Victor's sentence of 10 years. So, I guess Victor won that round, fair and square -- only sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Victor sounded sincere when he claimed not to know where the evidence was. Yet, Chelsea saw only that Victor had taken her husband's freedom, so she stole a scalpel in the hospital and threatened Victor with it. Chelsea looked just a teensy, weensy bit ticked off.
But a timely Paul interrupted Chelsea and Victor's little chat, which forced Chelsea to go home in sadness and frustration. And Victor was returned to prison, where he could be bunkmates with his son. How heartwarming! Adam even welcomed his dad home. I bet if Adam had had a welcome mat in hand, he would have thrown it at his dad. Oh well, at least in prison, they will always get three square meals -- forget the gourmet dishes served at the Newman manor. It was rather startling, though, to hear Victor admit to Adam that he had wanted his son to pay, but his intention was never to land Adam behind bars. And I believe him.
In fact, Victor insisted he would free Adam, once he was released, because Vic was all about family, all the time. And that was just what the Newmans testified to during his appeals hearing. Victor's loved ones claimed they had all previously testified against their patriarch in anger, but they could see clearly now that he had only been protecting his family. Everything had been for his family. Everything he ever did was for his family. When Victor kidnapped Jack and brought the murdering thug Marco into their midst, it was to protect his family. No wonder Phyllis was red-hot furious. Phyllis barged in, ready to tell her all -- and somehow I can't believe she suddenly hopped on "the pro-Victor bandwagon."
If Victor is freed, Chloe had better beware. I suspect Chloe took control of Victor's plot, which was rather a reckless thing to do. She should know, as well as anyone, that it's never wise to cross Victor Newman. But Victor also knows what a loose cannon Chloe can be, and he should have been fully aware she might pull such a stunt, since her hatred for Adam has been brewing inside of her for quite a few years now. Chloe is a ticking time bomb that can go off at any moment. I'm not sure why Victor won't disclose Chloe as his accomplice, but Chelsea won't find the proof of Adam's innocence until that secret comes out. And with Kevin still on the case, hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.
Will Kevin ever learn the identity of the wig-wearing mystery woman, "Dorothy Gale"? Surely, Kevin didn't believe the young girl from Kansas in The Wizard of Oz had nothing better to do than to visit Victor in a prison cell. Actually, Dorothy Gale is a pretty accurate pseudonym for Chloe, since a twister seems to have spun off with her sense of reason. Leave it to Natalie to take advantage of every opportunity and suggest she and Kevin run off on a romantic, oops, business trip to learn Ms. Gale's identity. Mariah is another one who is naïve when it comes to romance. She apparently doesn't know the old saying "All is fair in love and war," or she might come up with a better strategy than to let Natalie win every battle.
Mariah seems to be the one being pushed away at every turn -- and she's normally better at doing the pushing. Mariah felt Kevin turned her aside because of Natalie and then believed her mother threw her out of the house to keep her quiet about Sully. And she may be right about both. Even if Sharon was back on her meds, she only wanted her perfect little family in her perfect little world. And her red-haired daughter had the potential to destroy that fragile image. Even without the Sage sightings, Sharon was still delusional that it would all end well.
However, it was Sharon who brought me close to tears when she insisted that she would miss Mariah if she left and pleaded with her daughter to stay where she was needed, wanted, and loved. So, Mariah, apparently two squared doesn't always equal four. Well, okay, maybe it does, but Sharon was still in no hurry to get rid of the person who knew her dirty little secret, because she was the same person Sharon felt she could confide in. As Sharon pointed out, families can be messy, complicated, and scary. Boy, ain't that the truth?! But they can also be really wonderful, and Sharon didn't want to lose any more time with her feisty daughter. That just tugged at the strings of my heart.
Victoria and Summer sure proved that if the Newmans are anything, it's certainly complex. Nothing is ever simple with them, and they love to prove it every step of the way. Summer's pretense of being Luca's most loyal fan and his biggest supporter could be a little frightening if Luca guessed at her actual motives. Hey, maybe Luca could make an attempt at being the newest villain on the block, since Ian has failed somewhat miserably at it. Victoria warned Summer to be careful, because "being cornered brings out people's true personalities." Then they put on a show for Luca and squared off against each other, which resulted in Victoria firing Summer.
Luca then suggested that Summer become CEO of the company, where he would be her ever-faithful lapdog, panting and wagging his tail at her side. But he should have known something was going on when Summer considered doing it. Seriously, Summer really can pretty much be a "snowflake" when it comes to business, and I doubt she would want the responsibility of running a large corporation, no matter what she told Luca. Summer seems to me to be a follower more than a leader. But wait a minute...maybe Luca was onto her, after all.
After he told Victoria he would immediately remove himself from the equation at Newman Enterprises if she gave Summer her job back, Luca confessed all of his dirty, rotten plots and schemes to Summer. He admitted using Summer, because he had his own agenda but then realized he had gotten his foot caught in the door, because he really loved her. So, was his heartfelt confession because he really had feelings for Summer, or did Luca figure out that Summer was using him and quickly humbled himself just to turn the tables on her?
Nick wondered, also, if Luca had only owned up to using Summer because he knew she was going to accuse him. I agree with Nick that it was a smart play. Maybe Newman Enterprises is being a little hasty in letting the cunning guy go. Luca plays on the same kind of conniving field as Victor. And the harder Nick tried to break the two up, the more Summer fought to hang onto Luca's love. Luca might have predicted Summer's reaction, and therefore, he could still be using her. Oh darling, I have nothing to lose, but you would be sacrificing everything. Oh, no, I can't let you do that. That strategy is straight out of the con man's handbook of expertise.
Another couple in a rocky relationship was Stitch and Abby, who were trying a little too desperately to put all the pieces back together again. After everything they had gone through, it would be difficult trying to find a way to move on without the constant reminders of the children they had lost. They tried going back to square one by dating again, but unfortunately, Abby then pushed Ben about wanting another child way too soon. Abby should have seen that timing was everything. How on earth could Ben be ready to consider having another baby, when he was still dealing with the loss of two children? Surely, Abby couldn't be that insensitive. Or was she trying to replace her deceased child and save her marriage all in one fell swoop? But Stitch just wasn't ready. Will he ever be?
In the meantime, the square dance with Billy, Phyllis, Jack, and Victoria -- or maybe Hilary -- continued on with an allemande left and a do-si-do. Phyllis and Billy sure have been swinging their partners around for long enough now. Believe me, Billy Boy Abbott would love nothing more than to promenade with his fiery red-haired lady into the moonlight, but Phyllis has her own demons to face. Guilt and maybe a twinge of love left for her husband have stopped her from making a wild dash into her lover's arms. Well, so far, anyway.
But, no, Phyllis really seemed to want that time and distance away from both men to think things through, and while Jack was willing to give her that, Billy seemed to be at her beck and call at every turn of the corner. Poor Jack! Didn't it look like Billy was ready to throw the confetti and break out into a happy dance once Jack delivered the news that Phyllis had left him? Jack sure picked the wrong guy, a man who had his own very selfish agenda, to get advice from. Oh, yeah, of course,Billy was going to tell Jack to stay far, far away from his wife. I mean, Jack was just getting in the way of Billy's romantic liaisons with Phyllis.
The words Phyllis had for her husband were also meant for her lover, too, and Billy may have finally taken the not-so-subtle hint to let her have some time on her own. Red truly looks tormented about the love she has for both men, which is very realistic. Sheesh, on some soaps, the guy or gal jumps in and out of love so fast, it's almost like a revolving door. Looking at you, The Bold and the Beautiful. Bill loves Katie with all his heart. Then her sister, Brooke, is suddenly the love of his life. No, wait, Brooke says bye-bye, so it's Katie again. But no, Brooke instantly caves with one glance from Bill, and ta-ta Katie. My head is spinning.
Victoria commented to Nick that Summer couldn't just turn her feelings on and off, like a light, but the characters on B&B do that all the time and very easily. No one ever grieves or cries over a lost love. You never see anyone suffer the agony of being alone, because each one just instantly moves on. How can it be real love if a person can just get over losing it that quickly? But with Phyllis, you can see the internal conflict she is going through, and that is genuine. Okay, she's treating Jack like garbage, but that happens in the "real world" too. How does she think Jack's going to feel once he learns of her deceit with his brother? And since Jack saw in the fuel usage report that Phyllis had never taken the Jabot jet on a business trip, that revelation may come sooner than she thinks.
Jack even briefly suspected Phyllis had used the business trip to cover that she had been with some guy in a secret hideaway, but Ashley poo-pooed the idea. Phyllis had earlier told Summer that sometimes "things aren't always as they appear," but other times, it's exactly what it looks like -- and Jack had finally hit the nail on the head. However, Ashley's remark put him back in the dark with the false hope that his marriage could be saved. Billy commented, "You never know what you lost until it's gone," and Jack knew that more than anyone. How sweet Billy was to acknowledge that Phyllis loved Jack and wouldn't mean to hurt him. But how dare Phyllis turn the tables on Jack to make him feel guilty for not trusting her. But isn't that the way? In the cheating game, sometimes the best defense is a strong offense.
I guess Billy should have spent a little less time chasing after Phyllis and a tad more energy on building up his brand new company, Brash & Sassy, because apparently, he unintentionally put Victoria's baby into the hands of some stranger -- only it turned out that they knew the people behind the hostile takeover very well. Jill and Cane. I am glad Jill is getting back into the mix of things. She's proven to be a worthy adversary in the past, so she should be able to liven the business dealings up between Newman Enterprises and Chancellor Industries once again. Billy was determined to get Brash & Sassy back from the thieving varmints. Bring it on!
I swear, the pedestal Nikki places Victor on continues to just get higher and higher all the time. Guiness World Records calling....
Could Chelsea's next career move be in designing fabulous prison fashion?
Until next time, please stay tuned.
Teddi
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