"Well, you never do nothin' to save your doggone soul." Doesn't that lyric from the Bill Haley classic "Shake, Rattle and Roll" sound like an accurate statement about Billy Abbott? And the Y&R writers have sure been doing some shaking and rattling of their own, since Billy was left without a girlfriend and a job after his big rescue of the teens from the fire. It serves him right. If one didn't know any better, it would seem like he had saved the kids so he could be a hero in both Phyllis' and Victoria's eyes. Only for Victoria, his grand gesture was too little, too late, and for Phyllis, it wasn't enough to wipe out all of his deceit and underhandedness.
And speaking of Billy's foolish act of entering a burning building, where were all the firefighters while the flames were scorching Nick's business? I sure didn't see any in the building, although I saw plenty of them outside the Underground, preventing Cane from trying to save his children. So, were the rest of the firefighters handing out weenies or marshmallows to roast over this unexpected campfire? Several youngsters were trapped inside, yet they could only stand and watch as the fire burned hotter and the smoke got denser. It was only after Billy was trapped by the debris of the collapsing ceiling and walls that one brave firefighter dared to attempt a rescue. How sad. If the firefighters did that on Chicago Fire, the ratings would disintegrate into ashes and the show would burn to the ground. Perhaps a Chicago firefighter should transfer to Genoa City and show them how it's done.
After a figurative roll of the dice, the Newmans and the Abbotts somehow landed on opposite sides of the playing board. Victor had both of his daughters back under his wing at Newman Enterprises, and all was right with his world again. Who needed Nikki and Nick? They were turncoats that didn't deserve the time of day from his very expensive watch anyway. And Jack finally forgave Billy for pursuing his wife, so all was forgiven and forgotten. Well, for as long as Phyllis kept pushing Billy aside, that is.
And suddenly, almost all of the Abbotts -- Jack, Ashley, Billy, and Dina -- were living together in the Abbott mansion. Traci just needed to move back home to make it complete. Hey, Jill should move in, too. That huge house has to have many spare bedrooms and bathrooms. And the family wouldn't be complete without John's ghost returning from time to time to advise them all. But I guess he wouldn't need a bedroom or bathroom, would he?
As it turned out, however, Billy had a change of heart and decided to move into his mother's mansion. Seriously, he should have known that's where Cane had landed, since Cane still considered Jill as his mother. Cane had to go somewhere after he and Lily split up. But strangely enough, Billy had no problem with Cane being there. In fact, we were treated with what used to be the normal bickering between the two.
And a welcomed humor developed from within their situation, and not just for loud guffaws from a couple of hilarious lines. As they drank some of the finest liquor, the two guys reflected upon what a mess each had made of his life. Billy even admitted that he had wanted to be the hero during the fire in order to get Phyllis back. I knew it! Billy Boy, you were just too obvious.
Billy and Cane declared themselves men of action, and their actions sent them straight to jail. Looking back, they probably should have waited until the next morning to become sober men of action. I am enjoying watching this Billy Abbott again -- the screwup Billy Abbott. The one who wasn't constantly trying to totally ruin other people's lives, like Jack's and Cane's. I couldn't remember Billy ever being so vindictive before, so it's refreshing having him back to being the pain-in-the-neck Billy. This Billy is familiar and much more likable. Welcome back, Billy! I missed the man who, even when he's making mistakes, would show that his heart was in the right place.
So Billy and Cane landed in jail, where they could keep each other company. It just seems to me that the Chancellor mansion would have been more comfortable. And I was all ready for some more fun banter between the two jailbirds, but Billy was immediately bailed out the next morning. Oh, well, what else did they have to discuss, anyway, since they had already talked the loser thing to death, which is what landed them in jail in the first place?
But finally, Cane was given his freedom, too, just in time to rush to the courthouse to be granted a second form of freedom -- except that wasn't what he wanted. Leave it to Juliet and her perfect timing to put a halt to Lily's almost caving in to give her marriage a second chance. You know Juliet had to plan these things. She knew she wasn't wanted, but she popped up at the courthouse anyway. I absolutely agreed with Lily when she said that Juliet just wanted to make sure the divorce went through, and she wanted a ringside seat to witness it. Lily guessed that Juliet was either clueless or selfish, and I can tell you right now, Lily -- Juliet was not clueless.
Still, Juliet's plot went a tad awry when her little bun in the oven refused to cooperate. I actually thought Juliet was trying to put on an Academy Award-winning performance when she passed out, until Charlie showed the blood on his hand. So the divorce proceedings came to a grinding halt, anyway, and Juliet died, which made her planning and scheming all for naught. In hindsight, maybe this wasn't her best idea. So the baby, newly named Sam, only had Cane left in the world.
I would love to see Cane raise his baby with Lily. The babe with all of his medical complications could bring a whole new dynamic to their family. Lily still loves Cane, and she has a big enough heart to give to his child, too. And the twins would have a brand-new baby brother to fuss over. With Juliet's demise, they got rid of the biggest obstacle to their happiness. I certainly did not shed any tears over her death.
Things were also shaking up when Victoria was able to move on without Billy as her constant companion, and even Phyllis stood strong and wouldn't let Billy's sudden bravery sway her back to him. The two ladies' devotion to Billy was starting to get on my last nerve. It seemed to go on forever, and it was nauseating. Hurray for both of them for kicking him to the curb; however, I would have been more impressed with Victoria if she hadn't gone straight from Billy back to her father.
Gosh, which is the lesser of the two evils here? Victoria was truly starting to look pathetic by using any corporate method she could think of to keep her ex by her side. Yet now, Victor has control of Brash & Sassy again. I don't care how many contracts Victoria has him sign. No one knows loopholes better than Victor, and he will locate and use every single one of them to call all the shots at Victoria's beloved company.
Phyllis said no, no, no to Billy, but Billy was determined that wouldn't last long because he insisted that she was the one person who really got him. Are you kidding? That's exactly why they should stay far apart from each other. They are too much alike and too combustible whenever they are together. It's amazing the sparks between them didn't ignite and blow up any place -- or anyone -- within a couple of feet of them once they started sleeping together. Phyllis will eventually give in to Billy. Anyone should be able to see that coming a mile away.
Poor Nick, thinking he might have been the one to cause the fire in his nightclub when actually Dina had unintentionally set the place ablaze. The flames on the bar were a little exaggerated, though. I never saw where the oil from the oil lamp had gone all the way around the bar -- it was only on one large spot right by the lamp. But the flames shot around the bar so fast, some kind of accelerant had to have helped them along their merry way. Without the bar, not only Nick's livelihood but his very soul could be in danger, since Victor was always nearby and on the prowl. Victor's words don't always match his intentions. No matter how much or how often he denies his son, Victor would jump on any opportunity to pull Nick back into the Newman fold, if only to control him.
There's probably a reason why Dina has had a companion at her side, and the evidence seems to point to dementia or Alzheimer's disease. My mother is in her 80s now, and her memory has been slipping the past several years. At first, she was petrified with fear because she, like me, has had a great memory throughout her life. But now, she's pretty much adjusted to the fact that she tends to forget things from time to time. She can even joke about it now. My mother also has good days and bad days, and she is aware of that. So, my mother, my sister, and I will be able to relate to this storyline, since we are all devoted fans of Y&R. I just hope the writers do it justice, since this is probably more common than we wish to believe.
When Dina caused the fire at the Underground, was that a result of her disease? Probably, since normally, a little common sense would tell one to clean up an oil lamp spill to prevent a fire from starting. Most definitely, something was off with her when she was making decisions at Jabot without even clearing them with Jack first. And she was downright nasty when she compared Jack unfavorably to John. If she had been in her right mind, she would have known how much that would wound her son. Jack was very concerned about his mother's erratic behavior, and he would have been even more so if he had known she was swiping packets of sugar and also silverware, which came in handy later for her to use to stab Nikki. Jack said, "Loving someone always comes with hurt. It's inevitable." And he will realize just how painful, as he also learns why Graham probably didn't fight him for guardianship of Dina.
Whoa, Jordan and Chelsea sure weren't happy about Hilary wanting to mess with their past by rattling the skeletons in their closets. In fact, Jordan sounded downright threatening. See, it's that new-guy-in-town syndrome again, only it's taken a little time for Jordan to be afflicted by it too. Jordan's been such a nice guy...well, as nice as one can be by chasing a married woman and hoping that her marriage would fall apart. But he had to actually threaten Hilary with blackmail of posting her sexy pictures over social media in order to "shut her down."
Well, believe me, Jordan, that's the only language Hilary understands. The only hope Jordan had was to threaten her on-screen image or the success of her show. Those are the two big loves in Hilary's life. I have to laugh any time I hear someone ask her about her love for Devon. What love? Oh, the love she had for what he could give her. Oh, yeah, that love.
What could Jordan and Chelsea want so desperately to keep hidden? You don't suppose he was the head of a sex trafficking ring and she was one of his ladies, do you? Nah, that's too far-fetched. But Hilary was bound and determined she was going to learn the secret, so she decided to sniff around in Jordan's room, where she found a couple of driver's licenses with his picture but with another name on each. Hey, suddenly that wacko idea about Jordan being in charge of a sex trafficking ring doesn't seem so out there now, does it? But, no, I don't think he's been working with Zack, although it was Hilary, in a way, who "pimped out" Phyllis to Jordan so she could dig up his deepest secrets.
I couldn't believe it when I saw Jordan threatening Hilary with publishing her sexy pictures online. That was like waving a red cape in front of a charging bull, and Hilary was out for blood. It's just not something any intelligent person would do. "You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger...and you don't mess around with -- Hilary." Well, Jim Croce almost sang it that way. Believe me, if the dearly departed Mr. Croce had known Hilary, he would have been willing to change the lyrics of his song, even if they didn't rhyme.
So, surprise, surprise, surprise! Hilary announced to all of her viewers that Jordan was hiding driver's licenses under other names. That sure took the wind out of his sail of threats. Jordan even backed off of involving the police in the ransacking of his room. He most certainly is hiding something, and I am very interested in hearing what it is, especially since it also involves Chelsea. We can all learn a lesson from Hilary's comment to her audience, "If there's one thing I know about my bees, sometimes we are all about the honey, and sometimes we're all about the sting." (Technically, that might be two things, though.) Jordan, you might want to take note of this.
Hopefully, whatever secret Jordan and Chelsea are covering up won't trash Chelsea's new career as Neil's image consultant. Honestly, Devon and Chelsea were right that it was time to change his look, since he's been stuck in that one for quite a while now. A fancy-dancy Italian suit may be perfect as the CEO of a corporation, but a more relaxed look -- first a sweater and tie and later, a colorful jacket and no tie -- has been the right touch for a progressive and edgy PR firm. And it may work wonders for his personal life, also. I couldn't help but notice that the entire time Neil was talking to Chelsea and Devon, he kept sneaking glances over at Hilary at the bar. Could Neil possibly be interested in pursuing his ex-wife again, now that his son is out of the picture?
With Victoria's return to Newman Enterprises, Abby's lack of self-esteem and confidence reemerged. No wonder she's the lowest tier on Victor's totem pole. I'm not sure jumping at the chance of having Zack move in with her will heal her bruised ego. I really had the impression that someone was pulling Zack's strings, but it's sounding more and more like he is the mastermind behind the sex trafficking thing. In that case, let Paul quickly find the evidence to finally put an end to this farce -- and not in a funny kind of way. At least Abby can be grateful that she can't sink down too much lower on Victor's totem pole. However, after a little praise from her dad, Abby actually believed she could move up a tier on his pole. Silly girl.
After all, Victor has had no problem with pitting siblings against each other. He's been doing that to Nick and Victoria for years. Victor first told Abby that the party was being thrown in her honor, and then he, Neil, and Victoria decided it would be a grand announcement for Victoria's new title as second in command. And Victor didn't even bother to tell his younger daughter before the party.
Really? How did Victor think Abby would feel? She was humiliated, and no one cared less than Victoria, who just comes and goes at Newman Enterprises as she pleases. If the pain he caused Abby wasn't deliberate, Victor sure was being very inconsiderate. It's like Abby didn't matter to him at all. Oh, sure, according to Victor, her role was much appreciated and her contributions valued. Hogwash.
Wow, Victoria is truly transforming into a Victor clone right in front of our eyes. She even echoed his words to Jordan about trust and loyalty being the most valued traits. Trust and loyalty are a two-way street. Maybe Victoria should take a good look around and see that she has no one left from Brash & Sassy because she fired them all. And she got rid of Jordan based on Hilary's claim, which was funny, since she had never trusted a word coming out of Hilary's mouth before. But doesn't Victoria understand that loyalty and trust have to be earned? How can she earn her employees' trust when she keeps firing them? They never stay long enough for that to happen. Oh, well, at least she still has her papa, a man who has proven in the past that he can never be trusted, since he always goes by his own agenda.
Oh, joy, Crystal came back into the picture -- and into Genoa City. Goody-goody gumdrops (I haven't thought of that expression in a long time). Well, Crystal did identify Zack as the guy in charge of the sex trafficking ring. But this storyline is still slowly chugging along, since she refused to tell the police. Crystal insisted that she had to leave the safe house because she knew Zack was hot on her trail. She said that by her constantly being on the move, Zack couldn't track her down. So, of course, the first place she ran to was the town where Zack resided.
Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Crystal could have gone to any place in the world, but she picked the one where Zack lives? She must be using the hiding-in-plain-sight strategy. Yes, that's it. Why, Zack would never think to look for her there.
Nick has been saying over and over that he gave the trust fund to charity in order to free himself from his father, but it seems to me that his intention has backfired. You would think that much money would give Nick the freedom to do whatever he wants, even when Victor is gunning for him. Okay, since Victor bought out the liquor distributor in order to up their rates, Nick could either throw money at another distributor, who would be willing to make him a deal, or pay the bigger rates. Shoot, the liquor distributors could haul in a good chunk of change. However, since Nick gave up his millions, Noah would be wise to go in another direction with Tessa's support. But for how long? It could very well be just a matter of time before Tessa runs from Noah's loving arms to Mariah's.
Come on! Mariah and Tessa are so obviously conflicted whenever they are around each other. Is everyone in Genoa City that blind or obtuse? How could they not notice? Mariah refuses to take no for an answer, and Tessa doesn't want to rock the boat of her new family. Who cares about Noah and his feelings? I'm not sure he's even a factor in the final outcome, not as far as they're concerned.
Noah obviously cares more about his sister than she does about him. Mariah is really disappointing me. She's never been so selfish and self-centered before. If she truly loved them, wouldn't she want Noah and Tessa to be happy together, especially since that's what Tessa claimed she wanted?
Tessa comforted Noah over his loss of the Underground -- until she got a message about her sister, and then she was gone in a flash. But she left him with his father, so that was okay, except Nick only disappointed his son with his news that he was done with every location of the Underground. Noah found himself on his own and felt his dad was pushing him away. And Nick was, since he was the one with Victor's target on his back, not Noah. Nick probably did the best thing for Noah by deserting him. Victor would just continue to take pot shots at Nick until there was nothing left to shoot at. With the obstacle of Nick removed, Noah's chances of fulfilling his dream improved by about 100%. After all, Victor would never give anything less.
Noah had to look in another direction for his next dream, but he needed to look no farther than being manager of the Newman restaurant. So Abby was still lingering at the bottom of Victor's totem pole, and Noah shot right up past her to the "Top of the Tower." But Abby had other concerns, since Zack's past seemed to have caught up with him. Calling all media! Whenever the Newmans celebrate, shocking drama tends to follow. For someone who was supposed to be hiding in fear, Crystal had no qualms about announcing to the world that Newman was paying for Zack's Design Date app, which was a front for a sex trafficking ring. It wasn't exactly the appropriate time or place, but she got the job done. But it was obvious that the self-doubting Abby did not want to believe it.
It didn't take Scott too long to grow his mustache and beard back. Some guys just prefer having them. My husband would turn down a role in a play if he had to shave off his mustache. Well, at least Eric Braeden would never have that problem on Y&R. Victor couldn't be "the Mustache" without "the mustache."
It's been a joy watching Eileen Davidson playing Ashley on Y&R and Susan on Days of our Lives this week. The lady is so talented. The two roles are so different that there is absolutely no way that you could tell that the same actress was playing both parts if you didn't already know it. Brava, Ms. Davidson!
Until next time, please stay tuned.
Teddi
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