The heat's been turned up

Between Sharon's multiple confrontations and the industrial espionage going on over at Jabot, it was an exciting week in Genoa City.

Things became so heated last week, I had to haul out my oven mitts to operate my remote control. Between Sharon's multiple confrontations and the industrial espionage going on over at Jabot, there was more than enough to keep me enthralled and clinging to the edge of my couch.

Revenge was obviously both bitter and sweet for Sharon. Oh what sweet satisfaction she had to have felt in finally confronting her husband about his repeated foraging in Phyllis' lush forest. Caught with his hand in her cookie jar, Nick could only twitch and grimace in pain as Sharon slammed the lid on his fingers again and again and again. But the bitter came in the realization that in spite of his remorse, Nick couldn't quite force his lips to utter the lie that Phyllis meant nothing to him.

As for Nick, when the rubber finally met the road, he acted much like that dog who didn't want his bone until he saw it might be taken away. Haven't we been listening to him moan and mumble for months about how wonderfully free his fiery Phyllis made him feel? Oh how that redheaded woman could make him giggle with glee and jump for joy, he said. In fact, he claimed his smitten heart was pounding so powerfully for her, it barely went pitter patter anymore for his wife of 10 years. So in love with Phyllis was he, had Noah not fallen down and bumped his little crown, Nick would likely already be living and loving Phyllis in his temporary home in a Genoa City Hotel room. BUT ... that was how he felt then, and this is now, when he seems to have reordered his priorities.

Putting whose to blame aside for the moment, the three people in this triangle have been tremendous. Every watching wife or girlfriend who has ever walked a block in Sharon's high heels was probably cheering her on. Likewise, any watching husband or boyfriend who lived Nick's role, regardless of whether he'd been caught or not, had to twist a little guiltily in his seat as well. And, we can't leave out any fan who might once have been sitting in a seat just like Phyllis'.

Now, my thoughts. Despite his unfaithful actions of the past few months, Nick came across as completely sincere. When Sharon was raking his behind over the red hot coals, he really did seem sorry for what he'd done and certainly said all the right words that would make one think he wanted to keep his marriage. But was Sharon right? Is that just his guilt talking or has he fallen back in love with his wife and his married life? Because though at times he seemed prepared to fall on bended knees and beg Sharon's forgiveness if he thought that would turn the tide, when he was sitting at the bar with Phyllis, he talked as if the end of his marriage was a done deal and no longer worth fighting for. By the by, where was the ferocious heat between Phyllis and Nick we've become to accustomed to seeing and feeling? Could Nick really have switched off his love furnace for Phyllis so easily? A new fan wandering by that bar conversation would never have suspected these two had ever been more than just casual friends. Or perhaps it's just that since Nick has now convinced himself Sharon is his future, he's simply buried whatever he felt for Phyllis.

Okay, Phyllis. Although it's totally unlike her and went against every trait we've ever seen in her character, nonetheless her guilt was perfectly done. She practically handed Sharon an ax then placed her neck on the chopping block and waited patiently for Sharon to bring down the blade. For the most part anyway. By the way, any fan who doesn't live in my town has an advantage on me at this point. Because after waiting with bated breath for the confrontational clash between Sharon and Phyllis, in the end I missed the best chunk of it. Due to scandalous doings in state government places, at the exact moment Sharon took a deep breath to deliver to Phyllis the brunt of her fury, my local station cut in and a bunch of talking heads spouted the same words they could have waited til the noon news to spew. By the time they finally finished repeating themselves for the third time and allowed me access back onto the set of my favorite show, Sharon was walking in the office telling Nick she'd had an illuminating conversation with Phyllis. I guess I don't need to tell you I was NOT at all a happy camper and directed a few unprintable words at my innocent TV in infantile frustration. So I had to glean bits and pieces of that conversation from recaps and assorted sites. Yes, I missed the part about Phyllis being labelled a common tramp, or Phyllis' jab in her own defense about Sharon's not so perfect behaviour with Brad.

All that aside, however, is it just my cynical mind imagining things that are not there, or do those tapping the keys seem to be cramming this softer, gentler Phyllis down our throats on a daily basis? I wonder why? No, I don't really wonder; I'm guessing the ground is being prepared to plant a seed in Phyllis. As in her coming discovery that she is in the family way. Never mind that she travelled halfway down this road before with disastrous results. No one said it couldn't happen, just that it wasn't likely. Here it comes, miracle child. And with it, the overused baby daddy dilemma. If that's the way we're headed, for me, the only worthwhile part worth watching will be to have a laugh at Phyllis' expense as she feels the toe cramping pain of trying to walk when her long, narrow feet are squashed uncomfortably in a pair of shoes Dru once wore.

Let's see, what trouble could a pregnant Phyllis cause? And to whom. Let's start with Sharon. Remember her interference when she discovered Nikki was hiding the Abby daddy truth from Victor? Even going so far as to threaten to spill the bad news herself? Suffice it to say, Phyllis wouldn't be the only one hobbling around in too tight shoes. Sharon would have a chance to walk a lifetime in an expensive pair just like Nikki's. For Daniel, a Mommy to be would surely bring her son trotting lovingly back to her side, prepared to forgive and forget. Especially if his half-brother was fathered by Jack. At this rate the bad girl, Phyllis we once knew will be unrecognizable, all her past dark deeds whitewashed into invisibility.

Okay, enough about my plot speculations which is likely full of holes anyway. Last, but not least, let's move on to Sharon. First, let me say I totally get where she's coming from. How humiliating to learn not only that your husband's been cheating, but to make the bitter brew even harder to swallow was knowing the woman had grinned like a friend in your face while placing her hand atop your man's to help him stab you in the back. And then to have to see her in the office, knowing the feelings between the two could only be lying dormant instead of all withered and dead. But, because you knew there was going to be one, even feeling Sharon's pain, I can't just disregard all the infidelity dirt swept beneath her carpets either. Even though hers were one-night stands instead of long-standing affairs where the "L" word was actually uttered, she did pine powerfully for Diego for months, dreaming about entwining her limbs with his while rebuffing Nick's amorous advances. And she jealously and purposefully tried to derail Diego's romance with his preferred choice, Victoria at every turn. As for that infamous father-in-law kiss? I doubt she will ever live that one down with the fans. And finally, though I waited for her to receive her confrontational comeuppance from Nick over her one night dalliance with Cameron with almost as much anticipation as I waited for this one, I didn't get much for my money, when Nick forgave her almost immediately. And finally, any sympathy Sharon gained was lost when she once again stuck her out of joint nose in Brad and Victoria's business. Not for Sharon, the role of the trusted friend who listens sympathetically, murmuring 'there, there', while patting her friend comfortingly on the back. No, she always has to show her true colors by giving meanspirited and unsolicited advice. Anyone who doesn't know what they have in you doesn't deserve you, she simpered to Brad. And blah, and blah and blah she went on ad nauseum, as always, ready, willing and inordinately eager to lend a hand if it will destroy whatever love relationship Victoria's building.

Gee, who needs a vicious enemy waiting to ambush you outside the front door, when you have a vicious, poisonous viper living right in the bosom of the family? Yes, the one with scales beneath her clothing would be Gloria. I didn't think there was anything much lower to the ground than a mother who would stand idly by while her children were abused. But I was wrong. For Gloria, ground level is way too high. In order to place Gloria precisely at the level she belongs, it would be necessary to dig a deep pit. It was bad enough when she nonchalantly pooh-pooed whatever pain Abby might have felt because of her treachery. But that was nothing. Her reaction was about the same at learning a woman had died because of her. Poor John, he just can't pick 'em, can he? Brad thought he had it bad, wondering why he kept choosing women who couldn't love him. At least he can sleep peacefully at night without worrying they might kill him or someone else.

Speaking of Brad, boy am I excited about this latest turn of events. Brad has been kicking around this town, marrying moneyed women for about 20 years. Are we finally going to learn where he comes from and what it was that caused him to run away and become someone else? Who is Brad Carlton? And why did J.T. wonder aloud if he could be dangerous? Here's a question for the long-time watchers? Didn't Victor have a brother who was allowed to remain behind when Victor was given away? Please don't say Victoria's about to marry her uncle?

Do you think J.T. ever gets tired being some girl's pounding heart fantasy? Yeah, right, like any red blooded man would despise being constantly sought after. Which is exactly what Colleen continued to do. Not for her waiting at home by the phone with fingers crossed that the object of her desire might give her a jingle. Continuing education at GCU a distant memory, her days and nights are apparently filled with ways to force a chance meeting with J.T.. And now that Victor has J.T. digging for dirty details from Bradley's past, it looks to be awhile before she gets what she wants. Oh well, she can always rip a page out of Brittany's manual. The chapter entitled, "how to drug a man and have your way with him, or at least make him think he had it."

The young newlyweds are well on their way to becoming their parents. Living under someone else's rent, and working at jobs procured by their parents. But they're not taking any handouts. Oh well, at least they're cute.

That's it for me. Here's what you all had to say.

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RONNEA - I miss the old Lily but I am warming up to the new one. As far as everyone teaming up against Nick, may I remind you that it was not that long ago that Sharon was lying about Cameron. She involved the entire Newman clan in a scandal and a murder. Perhaps it was then that Nick threw up his arms and became disenchanted with his marriage. He stood by her and did everything he could to protect her, but it was not enough. The secrets of her and Cameron ruined what was left of her relationship with Cassie. Nick and Sharon have not been the same since. Have you forgotten her and Nikki cruising the sewers for what they thought was Cam's body? Nick was wrong for being with Phyllis, Sharon was wrong for kissing Brad, they may need to be apart to find themselves back to who they once were. However, after Sharon deliberately put herself in the middle of Victoria's one-night stand with J.T. my sympathy is nonexistent towards her. She likes to play the victim, yet she has a problem confessing her own sins. When is she going to tell Victoria that she was putting the moves Brad? For Trey - OLTL has had dark skinned characters on its show for decades. The chief of police, lead attorney and business leader to name a few.

JUSTINE - I was reading some of the feedback and note that Trey seemed impressed that there are "two dark skinned women" on OLTL. To me it's a quality over quantity issue since I wouldn't call OLTL a well written show and don't think they use their cast effectively. Y&R has Dru, Neil, and Lily in stories about themselves, not plot points supporting others which is the case on OLTL. If Trey thinks a soap should be sprinkled with people who look a certain way, then what about other races and/or ethnic groups that are not represented on soaps? Should they all push for what they think is realistic representation? At some point the show could be full of all kinds of people with no time for real stories, or you'd barely see certain characters at all. It's a catch 22 with the bottom line being that we are never truly satisfied. All I want from a soap is good romance and drama. Tell a good story supported by good acting and the viewers will tune in.

LIZ - Thank you, thank you, thank you, Nita, for voicing what I've been feeling for some time now about the horribly incestuous Genoa City crew. It's really getting very tiresome watching the attempts to mix and match couples that just don't mesh well. Leave it to my tired, wishful heart, but I was darn near heartbroken when the Nick & Phyllis fiasco started ... I'd truly hoped for some good relationship to actually hang in there, maybe because it's so hard to make that happen in real life. The Nick-Phyllis match is just nauseating, and needs to be done, last year already! After that B.S., Nick needs to be crawling on his knees to Sharon for at least the next couple years. Sharon & Brad: oh, please don't! Sharon's just starting to grow a brain ... she needs to demonstrate that a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle, and show everyone that she can be an example of a strong woman, on her own for awhile. I agree, too, that the J.T./Colleen match just doesn't work as well ... sorry, but the actress just doesn't cut it, and pull off the storyline very well. Genoa City truly needs to freshen the gene pool in a big way, and bring in a ton of really good, interesting romantic character potential. Keep the Victor/Nikki match ... one of the best, strongest ever. Fix Nick & Sharon's bad marriage, and get Phyllis, J.T., Victoria, and Brad somebody new, preferably a whole bunch of new cast members!

ZELDA - Is it just me or does anyone else out there remember any of Sharon's infidelities? If memory serves me correctly, Nick forgave her after both Diego and Cameron. I know that he's a louse and needed to be home during the healing process after Cassie's unfortunate departure and not out chasing after Phyllis like a dog in heat. But Sharon all of a sudden playing the wounded wife who just can't believe that her husband would cheat on her? She needs a reality check in a bad way. I agree that she should go after Phyllis with both barrels blazing, but she might want to take a step or two back and remember how hurt Nick was when she was on the giving end of the "vows mean nothing" and consider how he forgave her and even helped her to rid GC of the dastardly Mr. Kirsten. Just my opinion...not that it really matters, after all it is just a soap. LINDA - I wished I had read what you wrote about stereotyping (what Justine was commenting on really made me wonder what it was all about...Did I miss something?) I'm from New York and have used that same phrase "hit me back" and many, many others. Hell, I thought I had started the slang 'hit me back' until I heard it come from Dru. I also use the phase 'she's crushing on you' meaning she likes you. I've been saying that for 20+ years and now I hear others saying it in movies. There are many different cultures within the same race, whether it's Black, White, green or purple and it|s OK. We need to learn from other cultures and not be afraid of it, ITS LIFE. Many of us use slang depending on where we're from, our parents, our friends, etc. Now days almost all the kids use some kind of slang or another. We can only hope that we can keep up on it. My closest friend is white and if you heard her without seeing her, you would swear that she was maybe Black. I have a 12 year old daughter and with most of her friends being Hispanic, many of her words have the Hispanic tone/accent to it. I could easily see people thinking that she was half black and half Hispanic, but in fact she's half Black and half White. And plus, Dru is so comfortable using slang, I sometimes think she's throwing her own rhythm in the mix and the new Lily is perfect for the part she's playing. The old Lily didn't have any of the rhythm that the new Lily has. Thanks for hearing me out/

JEANNE - Has every one forgot about Sharon running off and leaving Nick with both kids. And sleep with another man. And Nick took her back. What about the time she slept with Victoria's boy friend in the tack house. I think she has nothing to complain about. She has been far from a faithful housewife.

KAMAL - While I have to admit that the new Lily isn't the best actress, I still prefer her to the original. The original actress was too whiny for my tastes. As far as the new Lily being "street smart", that's just a wrong term IMO. We all know the character ain't the brightest bulb in the box (I mean Kevin and the guy who drugged her at the community center Victor built - hmmm. Where did that story go? - are evidence enough that the girl's head isn't screwed on right). The actress speaks a vernacular that is more "urban-influenced" I'll say. In that sense, she "talks ghetto." In all honesty that was the first thing I noticed about her when spoke her first lines popping out of that ridiculous box on Devon's birthday. The character is not "ghetto" based on the way she talks. If we drew that conclusion then Dru must be doubly ghetto because she certainly has a more distinct vernacular to her speech than Lily does. On the subject of Kevin not deserving to be in a relationship from one of your commentors, I'm sorry, but that doesn't hold water. I do like Kevin. I was rooting for Kevin and Mac when Ashley Bashioum was still playing the part (but we saw where that went - to snoozeville with nu-Mac and still-boring-as-all-get-out J.T.). If Kevin doesn't deserve to be in a relationship because of the things he's done in the past, then tell Phyllis to stop sleeping with Nick and to leave Jack alone. While we're at it, tell Michael to divorce Lauren. Both have lied, schemed and attempted to kill people. While Michael went to prison and served his time, Phyllis certainly was left to wander the streets free. I'll never forget Phyllis running down Paul and Christine waaay back in the day. Phyllis hasn't paid for many of the atrocities she's committed in her time. The worst that happened to her is that she deservedly lost custody of Daniel. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Phyllis. Michelle Stafford is a wonderful actress who breathes life into that character for me - but I don't forget who Phyllis is. She's changed a lot, but her old ways still creep back in every now and then. And when she gets on her high horse with Jack (who is a real jack-ass at this point) and Dru, I say to myself, "c'mon, you've done 10 times worse in your heyday." Let's keep perspective on all these characters. None of them are saints, though John Abbott was very close IMO.

TASHA - Nita, I just have to say. I read that Mrs. Gibson died. Can things get worse than this? I hope Gloria pays for what she has done THIS TIME. It aches how she has been able to get away with SOO much, while others who have done nothing (or nothing in comparison) have been made to suffer. Like John. I don't care much for Ashley or any of them, but why should an innocent woman die because of Gloria's stupidity and she get off scotch free? I hope we see her taking responsibility for her actions and being made to face the music. Why, they can even have a turn about, with Jack supporting her as she goes through her 'difficult phase'! By the way, I love your writing. Keep up the good works! (Big thumbs up!) TREY - I was just so excited, I had to write in and tell you how much I absolutely loved Sharon this week!! When she daydreamed at the press conference Phyllis a redheaded slut, I screamed! When she finally confronted Nick by surprising him in the same hotel he had shared with Phyllis, I applauded. I loved Sharon Case this week. Her acting was so superb, so convincing, you felt her anger and her betrayal. I have to agree with you, Sharon with a backbone is actually very enjoyable to watch. Just one thing, maybe the next time the writers should insert just one or two slaps. LOL. But seriously, how great would it have been for Sharon to just deck Phyllis, especially when Phyllis threw Sharon's "mishap" with Brad in her face. I am loving Sharon, I definitely am enjoying seeing her in a new light and can't wait to see how she exacts her revenge.

CJ - I'd like to place my wager on the length of the Daniel Lily marriage (how precious are they I ask you? I've gotten 3 new cavities in the last week alone.) I say they'll be separated by Christmas, as a direct result of Phyllis and Drucilla. Can you imagine having those two as parents? Those poor kids don't have inlaws - they have outlaws! They don't stand a chance. The break up won't be permanent, though. Not this time anyway.

SHER - I say way to go, Sharon. I am so glad she stuck it to Nick the way she did and didn't just dissolve in tears. I've been waiting months for her to find out and I wasn't disappointed in the least! I know a lot of people feel she is being self-righteous and a hypocrite for being so indignant, but would anyone, even if they had cheated before, not act that way? People are crying down Sharon because she slept with Diego and later Cameron. When she slept with Diego I was 100% with Nick and she certainly doesn't get a free pass with the Cameron thing, or Victor and the kiss for that matter. But for some reason people seem to have forgotten about Grace. If Sharon is supposed to excuse Nick (or take it easy on him) because of her transgressions, then those should be excused, too, since he cheated first. And while I think infidelity on a whole is wrong, I consider Nick's actions, past and present worse because Sharon has had two one-night stands while Nick is a repeat offender. He slept with Grace a number of times (and I'm not even counting the first drunk incident): in Denver when Sharon stayed home because their child was sick and after she slept with Diego. Hell, he flew all the way to New York to have sex with Grace - talk about premeditated. And with Phyllis, he slept with her on his dead daughter's birthday and again when he should've been celebrating his anniversary, not to mention all the other times.

ANTOINE - On Thursday I was laughing when J.T. and Victoria were walking down the aisle discussing a case. It exactly resembled CBS highest rated primetime show CSI! I think they were even talking about a victim being murdered or something. I thought that was a CSI spoof!