To start off my column this week, I need to make a correction to my previous column in which I handed out "report cards" to various Y&R characters for our special Half-Year in Review feature. I gave Victoria a "D" grade because of how she walked away from Newman Enterprises, seemingly took Ashland back, and moved to New York City with her lying ex. I based her grade on how the writers had made her unrecognizable with those decisions because I couldn't imagine her throwing her career away like that. Well, I was right to not believe she could do something like that because, as we came to learn, it was all part of her plan to get revenge on Ashland for lying to her about having cancer! She definitely deserved an "A" grade instead (well, maybe a "B" because I still don't like the way she continues to treat her brother Adam)!
I was so excited to see Victoria giving Ashland a dose of his own medicine by lying to him just like he had done to her so many times over the past year! I am pretty sure that I literally cheered at the TV when I realized what Victoria's true motives had been! It was definitely a satisfying end to that chapter of the story. Of course, Ashland can't just accept that he deserved what was coming to him and move on gracefully; so, now a new chapter in this saga has begun...
And this new chapter in the Ashland saga is one that I am lovingly referring to as the "500 Million Dollar Baby." Ashland sure has been whining a lot like a baby since Victoria revealed that she had bested him and tricked him into giving her half of the 500 million that he got from her family. Instead of whining, he should have taken some time for self-reflection and thought about why Victoria might have done something like that to him because of his past actions. But what fun would that be, eh?! As much as I think he is acting like an entitled brat that needs to be put in a "time out corner," I'm thrilled with the direction this story has taken and am looking forward to seeing him take out his revenge on the Newmans (or at least try to)!
I'm sure that Ashland is regretting having donated the other half of that 500 million dollars to Nick's charity right about now! I doubt Ashland is totally broke because he had his own fortune from his business dealings before he even met the Newmans, but it's nice to know that he can't use their own money against them as he conjures up his revenge plot! It's exciting that Robert Newman will be sticking around in the role of Ashland for a little bit longer instead of having his character be ushered out of town with his tail between his legs. I have no doubt that he will lose in his vendetta against the Newmans (because they annoyingly always seem to come out on top), but he may have just the right ace up his sleeve that could help him do some real harm in his battle with Victoria before their war comes to an end.
Yes, the "ace" up Ashland's sleeve that I am referring to is none other than the black sheep of the Newman family -- Adam! We may as well give Adam the moniker of "500 million dollar baby" right alongside Ashland because, not only was he whining as much as Ashland this past week, but it was also his idea to give Ashland that large sum of money to begin with! Adam was praised for finding a way to get rid of Ashland by paying him off to leave town, and now Victoria has one-upped Adam by not only getting rid of Ashland but also by concocting a scheme to get that money back from him! In true Victoria fashion, she found a way to stick it to her brother while she sought her revenge against her ex-husband.
Is anyone else tired of Victoria's attitude toward her brother? Don't get me wrong, it's good drama to keep pitting them against one another as rivals, but I was really rooting for a scenario where he and his sister would form a real bond and even become friends. Like Adam, I am sick of the way his family continues to sideline him in favor of his siblings. His feelings are always the last to be considered, and it's no wonder that he is contemplating joining forces with Ashland to help him get revenge on the rest of the Newmans. Hell, he and Ashland can sign me up for their "revenge club," too, because I want to help wipe those smirks off each of their faces! It's really disappointing that Victor didn't at least offer a co-CEO position to Adam and even more disappointing that the rest of his family is just willing to step right over him to give Victoria everything that she wants. Victoria has certainly earned her position at Newman Enterprises, but Adam was literally just appointed CEO like a week ago, and then they pulled it away from him like it was nothing (which is undoubtedly why he feels like he means nothing to any of them).
I also feel really bad for Sally in all of this fallout surrounding Victoria's return to town. She was clearly looking forward to being welcomed into the Newman family, but now she will find herself an outsider again as she undoubtedly gets pulled into Adam and Ashland's revenge plot. She and Adam are a team, so even if he tries to keep her out if it, she will likely insist on helping him and supporting his efforts in one way or another. All of this is just really bad timing for Sally because she was finally in a position to prove herself to all the naysayers, who didn't think she would amount to anything, by making her mark as CEO of Newman Media. She and Chloe would have made a great team, and I was looking forward to seeing them working together.
I feel bad for Chloe now, too, because Sally will undoubtedly slip back into the COO position that she just offered to Chloe -- once the dust has settled from all the staffing shake-ups at Newman Enterprises. Unless, of course, Adam turns down the CEO position at Newman Media and lets Sally keep her job. But I have a feeling he will want the job back so that he can work to undermine Victoria from within the company. I've got my fingers crossed that they will still manage to find a suitable position for Chloe at the company, though, now that her partnership with Chelsea in the fashion world has dissolved.
Even though I feel bad for Sally and Chloe, and aside from the way that Adam is being treated by his family, I still am a big fan of this storyline overall. It's been quite twisty this week, which has been fun! There have definitely been some bright spots, like seeing Victoria drop her animosity toward Nick and offering him a position at Newman Enterprises. Nick hasn't had a storyline since his breakup with Phyllis last year, so it will be nice to see him mixing it up more with the other characters and finally having something to do besides offering emotional support to Sharon. I do still want to see more of Nick and Sharon growing closer, though, amidst all the business drama. I am enjoying the slow build that the writers have been crafting toward a romantic reunion for these two!
I am also enjoying the same approach that the writers are taking with Noah and Allie's budding romance. It's good that the writers aren't rushing to put them together and are giving us a chance to fall in love with them as a couple as they begin to have feelings for each other. And I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I am actually looking forward to seeing Noah on-screen again now! When his return storyline last year was intertwined with Mariah and Tessa's storyline, it was making me cringe every time I saw him, so I am thankful that is a behind us now! His scenes with Allie this week were really cute, and I can't wait for their next "date" (even though they aren't officially dating yet).
Speaking of slow-burning romances, is that what we are seeing play out for Jack and Diane? The writers sure are going out of their way to make Phyllis look like the bad guy to Jack, which has him siding with Diane more and more. Dare I say that Jack and Diane are getting close and even forming a friendship? Jack doesn't want to admit it (even though Nikki was quick to call him out for it), but that seems to be exactly what is happening. As I've said before, I'm not opposed to these two striking up a romance again, but ultimately, I hope that all this mess with Diane is just a bump on the road toward a Jack/Phyllis reunion, which would certainly be a rewarding payoff for a lot of fans. Even if Jack and Phyllis aren't the end destination in this storyline, I am more than willing to go along for the wild ride!
There is never a dull moment when either Diane or Phyllis is mixed up in something, so it is sure to be a whopper of a tale with both of them continuing to battle it out! And it is making me laugh that they are both trying to "out-nice" each other right now and claiming they've called a truce, because their rivalry is clearly simmering just below the surface of that façade they are putting on. Michelle Stafford and Susan Walters are knocking this storyline out of the park -- so much so that I don't know which of their characters to root for! And I'm not the only one unsure of who to root for -- even Phyllis' own daughter, Summer, has been siding with Diane more and more! Regardless of who comes out on top in this battle royal, we viewers are the true winners because we just get to sit back and enjoy all the fireworks!
And Phyllis and Diane aren't the only schemers in town with their sights set on "winning" a man as their prize. Imani took her intentions toward Nate to a whole new level this week when she schemed to get some alone time with him while Elena is out of town! Why do I love this so much?! I know that a lot of you don't like Imani's character because I do read the comments you leave on my columns (and I appreciate you sharing your opinions, even if we don't always agree), but I am thoroughly enjoying this troublemaking character! I think part of what is exciting to me about her is that she is a new character, so we don't know her well enough yet to anticipate just how far she will go with her plotting. Is she just someone that is willing to tell a few little lies to get what she wants, or will she go completely off the rails and be plotting to kidnap Nate in a few months?! The writers have a blank slate with this character, so it is exciting to anticipate where this storyline may ultimately lead.
I was a little disappointed in Imani's tactic to get Nate alone this week, though, because I feel like she set herself up to get caught in her lie. Why didn't we see her actually schedule a dinner meeting for them with Sally instead of lying about having done so? I get that she wants to get Nate alone, but surely, she could have convinced him to stay at the restaurant and "talk business" after their meeting with Sally was over. Now there is the possibility that Nate will find out she lied about the meeting, which could ruin her credibility with him and derail her plans before they even get off the ground. She should make friends with Diane and get some tips on how to successfully steal a man from another woman!
All right, enough about all the scheming going on around town (there certainly was a lot of it this week!). I've got just one final thought about this week's episodes before I sign off -- are the writers trying to make Chelsea more boring? Because throwing her into Billy's podcast storyline is the surest way to do that. Please keep her away from Billy's podcast storyline!! It seems like that's where things are headed for her, though, so I can only hope that she will succeed in making Billy's podcast more fun and at least somewhat interesting. I never dreaded the word "podcast" so much before this snooze of a storyline.
Well, that's all from me for this week, folks! I'll see you in the comments!
Until next time,
Vance
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