Last week, we learned that Alice Johnson and Zack are partners in crime and that Crystal, a.k.a. "Rainbow Girl," is their most popular prostitute. I have some "It's only a soap!" issues with that, mostly that I wonder how a scared young girl, being forced to have sex with strangers for money, can be so popular, unless it's the victimization of Rainbow Girl that is most satisfying to the johns. When I think of what that kind of sexual slavery means, I wonder how it can be so prolific and why we don't do more to stop it.
Quicker than you can say "Superheroes," Sharon and Scott are off to the rescue, and I have no doubt that they will leave the befuddled police in the dust as they rush in like the guardians that both Scott and Sharon aspire to be. I don't know why the cops failed to get the name and address of the guy who posted bail for those girls last week. If they had, I think the police could have nabbed the whole ring by now. But, then, I guess the whole story would be over, and the writers couldn't drag it out to November Sweeps, which is still two months away. I am telling you right now that if I have to wait that long, I want a spectacular shootout with lots of fireworks!
One of the things I like about this story is guessing how it will affect Abby, Victor, the business, and their personal relationship. Victor is not very forgiving of business mistakes, and when it is revealed that Zack's company is a front for prostitution, Victor will be livid. I do expect Abby, Sharon, and/or Tessa to end up hostages before they are rescued in November.
Nick seemed awfully quick to dismiss Sharon's observations about Alice as bunk. Boy, is his face going to be red when he is proved wrong. I'm glad Scott took Sharon seriously and got information on Alice instead of feeding her insecurity, which I noticed in several other ladies in Genoa City's galaxy of gorgeous ladies.
Both Victoria and Phyllis are dealing with insecurity in their relationship with Billy. Phyllis resents the time Billy spends with Victoria and is willing to work with Jack behind Billy's back to put Brash & Sassy out of business. This is not the strong Phyllis I remember. This is not the avenging fury that descended on Nick and Sharon's wedding.
Victoria has also shown her insecurity, and she definitely wants Billy back. As I said way back when, if Victoria really wanted to have a family with Billy, then her loyalty to him should have come ahead of her loyalty to the Newman family. She should have told Billy the truth and let the chips fall. Victoria should have put her children and life with their father first. Now, she is dealing with the consequences of that decision.
But alas, if Victoria had done that, we wouldn't have this delicious verbal battle brewing between Phyllis and Victoria in the elevator. Even though the elevator is stopped, it's still going to be a bumpy ride. Phyllis may hold onto Billy a while longer, but his heart belongs to Victoria, and eventually Billy will recognize that and return to her.
Mariah and Devon hit a speed bump in their relationship when Devon lingered over drinks with Hilary and stood Mariah up. Mariah would probably have been a good sport if Hilary had not chosen to rub salt in the wounds. Mariah was right when she told Devon that he had unfinished business with Hilary. Despite Devon's denials and his attempts to leave Hilary's orbit, he will not reach escape velocity.
Mariah and Tessa are in the "Will they or won't they?" stage. Tessa was just a little too humble for me when she was so self-deprecating with Devon. I've known several musicians during my lifetime, and none of those who performed in public were as modest as Tessa about their talent. Even the bad ones thought they were great! Music, even at a local level, is highly competitive. Musicians don't get gigs if they are not confident in their talent.
Cane is working on his redemption and trying to get his family back. I hope it's not "too little, too late," because Jordan is waiting to swoop in. Lily is still holding out hope for a reconciliation, but Juliet is holding out for her fairytale family with Cane, even though he pines for Lily. In the end, I think Cane and Lily will put their family back together again, while, down the road, Jordan and Juliet will move on, and out of town.
Thank you, Y&R writers, for replacing doormat Jack with a much spicier, more devilish version. I root for him to best Billy just as much as I root for Victoria to best Jack. Was it just me, or did some of you see Victoria channeling Victor when she was considering using underhanded tactics to triumph over Jack? It seemed like Victoria was showing that "winning just to win" aura that has always surrounded Victor. Victoria will make a fine adversary for Jack, who will have to be very careful not to offend Nikki. Jack and Nikki seem to be moving in the direction of romance, but Nikki always returns to Victor just like Jack returns to Phyllis, so I'm not holding my breath in anticipation of a grand romance. It feels more like treading water until the next big thing.
I watched several TV movies last week with female protagonists, and I laughed at every one of them who marched into danger with a cell phone and a mouthy attitude, much like Sharon and Tessa have done. Are we women really so moronic as to think that we can handle big men with weapons better than the police? I think not, but it is how we are being portrayed. Of course, in TV movies, 97-pound women in stilettos overpower 200-pound men with a single punch to the jaw. I can't decide if I want to see Tessa and Sharon exhibit similar unrealistic heroics to save Crystal or if I want a more "traditional" manly rescue. What do you guys think?
Finally, for those of you who are missing Teddi this week, I want to report that she is well and was able to evacuate before Hurricane Harvey hit, but her home is in the flood zone, so Teddi was unable to do the column this week. She expects to be back in two weeks. Your prayers and well wishes are much appreciated. If you want to contribute $10.00 to the Red Cross, text 90999 and the word "Harvey." It's easy, and when all of us give a little, it helps a lot.
As always, I welcome feedback about this column in the section provided below. I love reading and responding to your comments. Thank you for your interest in this week's Two Scoops. Join me next week for another edition. Meanwhile, if you like tweeting, follow me in the Twitterverse @BoonesTudes!
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