Darkness and light

All your B&B boos thought that the solution to Sheila was simply getting through to Bill. Well, except Taylor, the only one with a concrete plan of action -- turning herself in for shooting the Dollah! Is Taylor's dissection of darkness on par with a journey she already took in 2006? Light it up with Two Scoops' Mike!

Has your week been bold and beautiful? Did you forget that you already vowed to come up with a solution to your mother-in-law problem? Did you realize that where there's a Will, there's a way? Did you find that the definition of insanity truly is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results? These and more situations faced the Forrester-Logan-Spencer-Walton-Finnegan clan this week!

Holy 2023, Scoopers! We're a month into this no-longer-so-new year, and a month into the saga of Bill and Sheila. Folks still think trying to do interventions on Bill is the best course of action, but all the talking head stuff has gotten old. The only one with a legit plan is Taylor, but nobody will let her turn herself in for using Bill for target practice. But longtime viewers will know she's been down this road before! Y'all ready? Let's Scoop about it!

Steffy and Hope's once-again-unified chat about Sheila was interrupted by apparent rising star Charlotte, whose sole purpose, once Taylor joined the fray, was to comment, "Anyone who puts a bullet into another human being should not be walking around free." Ouch for Taylor! Ironically, Steffy has forgotten she's on that list, too, since she shot Sheila in the arm in 2017, thinking Sheila had a gun in her purse.

Sheila shot Stephanie. Storm shot Stephanie. Thorne shot Ridge. Sheila shot Brooke and Taylor and Finn and Steffy. Steffy shot Sheila. Storm shot Katie. Deacon tried to shoot Quinn. Katie tried to shoot Quinn! You get the feeling there are too many guns on this show, especially with the constant shootings these days? Anyway, Steffy and Hope, who two months ago couldn't agree whose mother should be with Ridge, teamed up to tell Taylor she should not turn herself in for popping a cap in Bill.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the crime, otherwise known as Bill's living room, Bill seemed ready to throw Sheila to the wolves if Katie came back to him. Whoa, horsey, Katie said. She only meant that she and Bill and Will could be a family, not that Katie would give up Carter for an 80-second go-round with Bill and his wandering eye. Sheila overheard all this and walked in to stake her claim.

And, as Sheila prattled on, Bill stared at the floor. Haven't we seen this scenario already? Oh! Right! With Katie! And Brooke! And Steffy! And Taylor! People trying to talk Bill out of a life with Sheila made sense when news of their whatever relationship got out, but four weeks later, it's been overdone. There's too much talking on this show as it is, and not enough action.

I don't think it really serves B&B for characters to consistently fill up airtime telling each other what they found out and discussing it from every angle. Of course, we need some of that, but the interventions on Bill was one beat, and we should already be on to someone actually working to do something about the situation. Steffy made that vow weeks ago, but she's still waiting for the problem to solve itself.

Katie at least seemed to be onto something when she declared that Sheila has been brainwashing Bill. I've been thinking that Sheila poisoned Bill's sword necklace, since she keeps referring to it and this week stared at it evilly. Some of you have suggested that Sheila's unusual amount of blinking is some form of mind control. Or maybe her ring has something to do with it.

I've been watching a lot of 2001-2002 As the World Turns lately, and hey -- James Stenbeck brainwashed Hal Munson with a playing card! I'm mostly of the opinion that Bill is not acting of his own free will with Sheila, though it is possible that he's playing her somehow. I think at this point, I need more hints. The intrigue I felt over Bill's motivation has been blunted by taking too long for the next development.

Conversely, our soap did take one thing in a sudden new direction when Katie demanded that Steffy tell her what Bill had on her, and Taylor swooped in to confess it was the fact that she had made Bill dance around her bullet without the dancing! Yes! It was time for that secret to reach another person. Katie was horrified that Taylor would pick up a gun, but again, Katie once picked one up to take aim at Quinn.

Katie wanted the full scoop on the night that Taylor nearly killed Will's father. So, Taylor obliged -- well, by filling the scoop three-quarters of the way. We saw the flashback from 2018 where a shadowy figure skulked across Bill's property and into his living room. And you know, it's fortuitous they filmed it that way, because it allows for plugging Krista Allen's Taylor into the sequence seamlessly.

"It wasn't me," Taylor told Katie, trying to explain her internal malfunction on that night. I had to snicker a little, because Taylor was right -- it wasn't her, in that it was Hunter Tylo's Taylor who committed the crime. Yet, Krista Allen has taken up this mantle and really run with it. I really believe now it was her Taylor who did the dastardly deed.

Taylor explained that everyone has darkness and light in them and that she had allowed herself to give in to her inherent darkness because Bill had done something that had filled her with rage. Interestingly, Taylor didn't divulge what that something was to Katie, though Taylor later conceded to Steffy that she had been wrong to think that Steffy had been violated by Bill. Now, if Ridge would just get on board with that.

This whole thing is his fault for filling the unstable Taylor's head with assumptions! Speaking of Steffy, as Taylor flagellated herself for shooting Bill, Steffy remembered a conversation with Bill where he was adamant that Taylor, and not Liam, had shot him. It was the only mention of Liam's possible culpability this week, but not the first one. Why bring it up if there may not be some merit to it? Hmm...

Sheila knew that Taylor would have to live the rest of her life, knowing she had shot Bill, the way Sheila had had to live with shooting Finn. Buoyed by this knowledge, Sheila visited Taylor in her office and made a case for how similar they were. After all, they both had blown holes in people. Taylor scoffed that they had pulled triggers in different circumstances, but really, how different were they?

Overgeneralizations aside, Sheila shooting Taylor was an accident. Taylor made a grab for Sheila's gun, and in the struggle, it went off. Taylor, on the other hand, picked up a gun and fired at Bill -- in a mental health crisis fog, yes, but on purpose. So, I just wanted to point that out. Sheila also felt that she and Taylor were bonded because they had saved each other's lives on the rooftop of the hospital.

All Sheila wanted was peace and harmony for their extended family. Family, Sheila? For as much as she went on about Finn and Hayes when she lived with Deacon, she never made a move toward seeing them, and now that she can prance around legally, she still hasn't even tried to see her son and grandson. It's very odd that this major plot point continues to be skipped.

Sheila suggested that Taylor forgive herself for shooting Bill, which was strangely lucid for someone with not all her oars in the water or toes on her feet, but Taylor wasn't about Sheila's dime store psychology. Yet, when Sheila left, Taylor couldn't help but admit to herself that Sheila had had a point. Several points. Which Taylor conveyed to Brooke when La Logan showed up with some pizza la Deacon.

Brooke assured Taylor that no comparison could be made between Taylor and Sheila, and Brooke held her new best friend to comfort her. As I mentioned in my previous column, it's certainly a change of tune for Brooke to console Taylor over shooting Bill, when, at the time it happened, Taylor slumped to her knees, begging Brooke not to report her to the police.

I know there are those of you who aren't buying Brooke and Taylor as fast friends, likely because it happened so...fast. And there sure seem to be some soap markers that would indicate a romance is brewing between the two. I've joked in the past that they should stop fighting over men and get together, but I don't honestly see that happening. I do, however, find their new friendship unexpectedly heartwarming.

It very much reminds me of Fallon and Krystle on Dynasty (the classic one, thank you very much). They didn't fight over a man in the traditional way, but Fallon couldn't stand sharing her father's love with Krystle and did everything she could to cause trouble for her stepmother. Well, until Steven was presumed dead and Blake seemed to be losing his grip on reality over it.

Fallon reached out to Krystle over it, and they made peace right then and there. And it stuck the entire rest of the run! So, it's not unprecedented that Brooke and Taylor could become such good buddies so quickly; this latest kerfuffle over Ridge surely could have been enough for them to see the light. Maybe now that they share so much, they can find Jack, the son they share with Nick. Wouldn't that be something!

Sheila decided that Katie was becoming a threat to her relationship with Bill. And you know what happens to women who become threats to Sheila's relationships! Just ask Lauren Fenmore! No, don't, because over on Y&R, Lauren still thinks Sheila is dead. Why the disconnect? Sheila's release was in the media Bill checked on his phone, and you can't tell me news from Los Angeles doesn't reach Genoa City.

This would be a great time for Lauren to step into this lion's den. While L.A.'s locals wring their hands over what to do about Sheila, Lauren would know how to handle her immediately! Instead, Sheila warned Katie that Katie had better accept Sheila's romance with Bill, "or else." Somehow, I think the revelation of Sheila threatening Katie would be enough to snap Bill out of his stupor!

And really, Katie -- be smart. Hit record on your phone and goad Sheila again. It may not be legal to record people without their knowledge, but it would be something to present to Bill. Do you really think he'd turn Katie in for the recording, even in his current state? For Sheila's part, she should not be careless enough to menace Katie when she's advocating peace and harmony.

But menace Sheila did, and you gotta admit, no one can hit below the belt like Miss Carter. Sheila reminded Katie that Bill preferred Brooke over her and even taunted Katie over being a heart recipient. Are the bees Sheila once used to kill Lance still buzzing around? Because that stung. Sheila didn't think Katie would risk her dignity by reuniting with Bill just to spite Sheila, and it's hard to argue that.

Sheila was mistaken, though, when she smirked that it was "just like a Logan to use a child to keep a man." Actually, Sheila, that's Brooke's shtick, and you should know that because you and Brooke used to be BFFs. But let's talk about Will! I kept thinking, why doesn't Katie just threaten to keep Will from Bill as long as Sheila is around? There's no way Bill wouldn't respond to that!

And, to an extent, that's what Katie did, at least by informing Sheila that Will would indeed be off-limits! Now Katie just needs to make that clear to Bill. Perhaps Sheila should be worried, because it looked like he wouldn't have thought twice about returning to Katie. Katie told Sheila she could have Bill back anytime, and I half expected her to do a Brooke finger snap and add, "just like that!"

It would be messing with Bill's head, but maybe Katie should offer herself to Bill, because it would certainly mean Sheila serving time again. Would Bill really work the system a second time to free Sheila upon finding out he'd been punked? Reiterating my earlier contention, it would be an action, and not just talk. Like Carter when he found his new bae with Sheila and kicked Sheila out.

It's probably just me, but I would have loved to have seen a bit with Sheila observing that she and Carter share a name. Sheila Carter, Carter Walton? It's kind of hilarious. If Carter married Sheila in an untraditional ceremony, he would be Carter Carter! But Carter swore to protect Katie, and it's refreshing to see their relationship deepening over the Sheila sitch instead of growing into love after a few scenes together.

Sheila visited Deacon at his new ristorante, snarfing up his experimental pizza and reveling in being able to nosh freely. Deacon had not long before recalled his secluded dance with Sheila, all while Brooke and Hope could only wonder how any man could love Sheila. Yipes. I didn't think Deacon actually had feelings for Sheila. They boffed, but other than that, Deacon couldn't wait to get her out of his studio apartment.

Maybe absence makes the heart grow harder, because he flirted with Sheila by wiping tomato sauce off her lip and insisting that he was a "big boy" who could handle Sheila moving on with Bill. Deacon, you're making my knees wobbly. But I have to feel sorry for him. He knows Sheila is bad news! He feared for his own freedom when he harbored her illegally! Now he wants more of his she-devil?

Deacon may be carrying two torches, because his rapport with the pizza-eating Brooke was unusually sunny. Yo, Freaky Deak, you deserve better. For one thing, I'm right here. For another, there are millions of other women in the City of Angels. Some of you are appalled that a murderer like Sheila could have two men falling all over her! Yeah, when you put it that way...Deacon, you can do better.

Deacon was not unaware of the tone Sheila used when she announced that there would be consequences for Katie if Katie didn't stay away from Bill. Deacon joked that Sheila would cut Katie's toe off but also implied that retribution probably wasn't the best way to go. Could Katie really be Sheila's next victim? Is that why Katie had that appointment with the doctor checking up on her heart? I can see Sheila replacing Katie's anti-rejection meds with Flintstones Chewables.

Katie made an astute point when she reasoned that Bill was reacting from having been hurt by her...and Brooke...and Steffy! Maybe that was why Bill was lashing out at Steffy by blackmailing Taylor! Now that would be some chickens coming home to roost. Bill nearly did leave Katie for Steffy, so Katie would be the right one to make this connection. Sounds like Still still has some gas in it!

Katie had a hard time getting her head around Brooke's newfound bosom buddy Taylor -- and, across town, Steffy was experiencing difficulty making the same connection. Not surprising, considering Steffy had once again been infected with anti-Brooke disease last year after a long remission. But Steffy came to appreciate Brooke's support of Taylor...and agreed with Brooke that Taylor should keep quiet about what she did to Bill.

Taylor deemed herself a hypocrite for promoting mental health among her patients while she had such a huge, undealt-with trauma rattling around her own psyche. Hard to find fault with that. What I do find fault with is every single character telling Taylor not to turn herself in for shooting Bill. It's not that I want to see Taylor in jail. But Taylor wants to do the right thing, and it's not the first time she's faced this dilemma.

She received the same pleas from her family, or at least the then-alive Phoebe, in 2006 when Taylor hit Darla with her car on a foggy night and killed her. Taylor wanted to accept responsibility, but Phoebe talked her out of it, much like not-twin sister Steffy is trying to do now. Taylor kept her mouth shut, all right, even after she got involved with Thorne, who just happened to be whom Darla had left a widower.

But Taylor couldn't stand it any longer, and she did turn herself in, and she did do time, at least until a witness confirmed that Taylor running Darla down had been an accident. (Darla did fall into the path of Taylor's car, after all.) And Taylor finds herself in this quandary once again, with no one wanting to let Taylor hold herself accountable for something she did while not in her right mind.

The argument is that even if Taylor traded her blouses and jeans for an unflattering jumpsuit, it wouldn't mean that Sheila would go to jail based on Finn and Steffy's testimony. Bill could still bribe judges to keep Sheila free, Taylor was told. I still think it's the best shot at neutralizing Bill's blackmail threat. If Taylor goes public, Bill loses his leverage, no matter what happens with Sheila.

And I've mentioned this before -- Taylor could plead temporary insanity and probably be acquitted. There were certainly enough witnesses to her erratic behavior, and Taylor did supposedly seek professional help off-screen after pumping Bill full of lead. (And Taylor's seeing a therapist now -- for sure! This is a stellar development!) Doctor-patient confidentiality aside, Taylor's previous psychiatrist could attest to Taylor's lack of control.

Taylor made the most sense of anybody this week. She rightly informed Steffy that Sheila could take the next step and use the information about Taylor to blackmail her way into seeing Hayes! Isn't that prospect enough to blow the whole thing wide open themselves before Sheila can act on it? That Taylor wants to take steps to get a handle on the predicament takes balls, and it would be a lot more dramatic than watching people talk her out of it and talk to each other while doing nothing!

Where are your heads at, Scoopers? Are our characters all talk and no action when it comes to Sheila? Is Taylor, bar none, right for being willing to put herself behind bars? Could Liam actually be the shooter? Does Deacon deserve better than nurturing unrequited love for Sheila? Could Katie loosen Sheila's hold on Bill by denying him access to Will? And how are you feeling about the ongoing camaraderie between longtime rivals Brooke and Taylor? Come in from the dark in the Comments section below or the Soap Central message boards, or simply click here to submit feedback. Your comments could end up in a future column! Like these!

"I think Sheila has hypnotized Bill and maybe Deacon too????? That's why he seems so robotic." -- Pam

"What if Bill really is mentally ill and thinks he really did fall in love with Sheila? And how would he react if he found out she was lying? ...Would he go so far as to try to kill himself, but then Wyatt and Liam find him just in time?" -- Christine

We're all wondering what's up with Bill, and hopefully we'll get clearer clues as to what's making him tick soon. In the meantime, it's awesome that we're finally addressing Taylor shooting Bill, which had been an entire zoo of elephants in the room since Krista Allen took over as Taylor -- and by the way, Krista is killing this arc. Will Taylor be the one to stop Bill, not with a bullet this time, but with a confession to the police? Keep watching, be alert, and most of all, be bold! See you in two weeks, my Scoopnesses!

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