Another watch-worthy week

It was another exciting week on The Young and the Restless. Aside from a couple of exceptions, most of Genoa City's citizens hit the round ball right out of the park.

Wow! Am I ever lovin' my show right now. In fact, I enjoyed the week so much, I just about wore out my rewind button, watching exceptional scenes multiple times. With a couple of exceptions, most of my Genoa Citian fictional folk hit the round ball right out of the park.

First up, the Fisher-Baldwins. Now that he has something to do, other than be an accomplice in one of his mother's skirt the law schemes, I am back to congratulatory clapping for Kevin. In spite of the crimes I acknowledge he's committed over the years, most notably trying to roast Colleen Carlton like a Cornish hen, and second the near rape of a young and, believe it or not, even more trusting and more nave than she is now, Lily Winters, when Kevin shows a sliver of his vulnerable or caring side, I can't help but love this flawed hunk of humanity. Kevin relating for Michael the twisted trail of the Chancellor currency, accompanied as it was by the very expressive facial contortions of both brothers, was absolutely hilarious and had me riveted to the tale as if I hadn't been there every step of the way and seen it all for myself. These two relate so well together, if I didn't know I was watching make believe, I'd be convinced they actually shared a brotherly link.

Michael's performance was nothing to poke fun at either. It was quite an emotional moment as brother and sister sadly compared scars inflicted by the worthless River, and the hand-holding finale had me surreptitiously swiping at my moist eyes.

And then there were those looks on Kevin and Jana's faces as they pretended to be coats in Nick and Phyllis' closet, while Michael stared in at them in absolute astonishment. Priceless and well deserving of a couple of rewinds.

But it was Kevin's rather tender treatment of a confused Katherine Chancellor that earned him a gold star in my book this week. Kevin stepped into that cell fully prepared to pick apart the few threads tied together in the fabric of Katherine's fable about a miraculous return from the great beyond, but wound up an amazed believer. And after obsessing over the lost and found funds for weeks, in the end Kevin did the right thing and anonymously returned it to its rightful owner, albeit in a roundabout way, of course. I loved the chemistry between Kevin, Katherine and Murphy and am looking forward to a strong future friendship between these three.

Katherine continues to shine as she takes small, halting baby steps back into her life. Her portrayal of a person regaining their memory, piece by piece, has been excellent and as much as I want this part of the story to conclude so I can see what happens next, at the same time, I am enjoying taking the long way around to get there. I do have to concur completely, though, with fan Cheryl's opinion (see below) of the intelligence of Genoa City dwellers when it comes to Kay. It's been hard to watch Kay's daughter and her alleged dear friends treat her like dog poo stepped in and inadvertently dragged into their immaculate living rooms. I'm probably more disappointed than Kay seems to be that they are rejecting everything she says out of hand, determined to ignore the very real evidence standing before their eyes begging for their belief. Like Cheryl, I am counting the minutes to the moment they realize their mistake and have cause to regret how harshly they treated the woman they continually profess to care so completely for.

Thankfully, unlike dear daughter, Jill, and nearest and dearest gal pal, Nikki, Gloria and Kevin were open minded enough to at least give what Kay had to say a more than cursory listen. And though both are practically shouting Kay's truth from the Genoa City rooftops, their fellow residents aren't inclined to believe them either. Speaking of Gloria, even though I know she has a self-serving reason for attempting to paint herself as Kay's bosom bud, surprisingly, I am enjoying these two ladies together. Of course Gloria has a motive for befriending her befuddled benefactor, but then, what Genoa Citian doesn't have a motive, pure or improper, for just about everything they do? The bottom line is Gloria really believes Kay is who she says she is, and she truly wants to help her fill in some of the blanks, even if she is adjusting the color on certain events to make them appear more pleasing to Kay's eyes.

Leaving the tangled skein of Chancellor yarn in the sewing basket, it's on to the Newmans and more impressive performances. After years of emphatically claiming a yen to be forever out of daddy's shadow, Nick has tossed aside the untucked shirts, donned a suit and tie and returned to Newman duty. I wanted to hug that adorable man when he admitted that all he ever really wanted was for Victor to look at him with pride-filled eyes. And thankfully, Victor did exactly that and even more, unbending far enough to actually admit he was wrong about Nick's Restless Style endeavor. It was a great moment between the two men, equals for the moment. Unfortunately, as much as I'm looking forward to father and son working together, I already fear for Nick's fragile ego. Because you just know that all that cordiality won't last. I mean, we are talking about Victor here. Right now, he's saying and doing all the right things because he wants Nick working with him. But, eventually, Nick will cross some invisible line with Victor and will likely wind up out of favor once again. So I guess I'll just enjoy the good times while they last.

It's good that things on the work front will be tranquil for Nick because I'm guessing the home fires could soon become uncomfortably hot. Thanks to that Paris kiss, Phyllis' insecurities are bleeding through everything and her desperation has been wonderful to watch. It appears some of her chickens are finally coming home to roost and I plan to snicker through every single second of it. Given what has gone on between the three, Sharon has to find it rather gratifying that Phyllis is so threatened by her presence in Nick's life. Turnabout is fair play, after all. And even though Nick isn't doing anything like what he and Phyllis were up to when Sharon was his legal lady, Phyllis is taking no chances, and is using every weapon in her impressive arsenal of dirty tricks to make certain nothing does. But all she's managing to do is push the protagonists ever closer. At this point it doesn't even matter which lady Nick will be leaning toward when all the coming events have played out and the dust has settled. Although I have to admit, I'm rooting for a Sharon-Nick reunion. After all, Nick can't stay with Phyllis forever. I'm not saying he's becoming less infatuated with his fiery feline, but he is beginning to eye her with just a little bit of alarm, looking half-prepared to run for the nearest cover, every time he has to mention Sharon's name. It should be fun watching things unfold ad Nick sees some sides of Phyllis he isn't yet well acquainted with. All I can say is, Nick, m'boy. You ain't seen nothin' yet!

By the way, although the bulk of Phyllis' beef with Nick returning to Newman definitely has to do with Sharon, I have to admit she is probably speaking the gospel truth about one thing. Victor IS still Victor and you know it is only a matter of time before father and son find themselves at loggerheads about something or another. Which means that at some point, Phyllis is liable to utter the dreaded words: I told you so, Nick.

While all is fine with father for Nick, that's not exactly the case for his sister, although she seems to have taken a lesson from her Sabrina mistake, and knows better than to obviously ostracize Ashley. But after an up close and quite personal view of the new Newman family dynamic of Daddy, Ashley and Abby, Victoria is probably kicking herself, wishing she could reach back through the veils of time and turn the hands of the clock backward ... to a time when it was Sabrina simpering at her father instead of Ashley. Guess she should have been careful for what she wished. Because watching her father beaming benignly, arm in arm with the woman she once thought was a wicked witch must feel like a horrible sense of dj vu for Victoria. On top of that, the Daddy's girl looked quite pained to see Daddy's other daughter devotedly dropping her head to Daddy's shoulder. By the way, when did Abby and Victor develop the close-seeming relationship? Last we saw them, she was still calling him Victor and making him crayon drawings. But Victoria shouldn't worry too much that Abby will take her place in Daddy's heart. Because it's rumored that Abby is going to be a painful thorn in her Daddy's side. I can hardly wait to see how that plays out. But what I really want to see is whether Abby will find out how she really came to be. Listening to Ashley trying to make stealing a man's semen and sending it center-ward via artificial means sound like a devoted act of love should be interesting to say the least.

So what IS in store for Ashley? In the end, nothing good, I would wager. Watching Ashley grinning idiotically at Victor, clinging to his bulging bicep like she's drowning and he's the only bobbing buoy in sight is rather painful. I can almost smell the burning rubber mental meltdown to come. First of all, Ashley looks like she's trying way too hard to sell her recycled romance with Victor. She kind of makes me think of one of those wind up dolls whose key has been turned just a tad too tight. One more turn (as in a crisis of some kind concerning Victor) could send this woman whirling out of control. How many times has this happened? And always with the same man at the epicenter of the storm? Too darn many. With Victor manipulating Jabot-greedy Jill's strings like a master puppeteer to dethrone Jack, and likely Ashley in the process, unfortunately Ashley's future heartbreak seems inevitable. I'd almost feel sorry for her if she didn't always come across as so superior. By the way, line of the week honors is awarded to Nikki for her cutting, but accurate comment to Ashley. Ashley: Abby is Victor's child, too. Nikki: Not that he had anything to do with it! Funneeee!

When it comes to being nave, it looks like Lily isn't the only Winters family member plagued with that particular trait. Neil is also a carrier. Neil might have actually believed he was going to live the Newman dream forever; that it had no chance of ever becoming his worst nightmare, but I sure had my doubts. It was yet another priceless moment in a week full of them when Neil learned of Victor's return to reclaim his throne. I felt his pain and his frustration. But really, how many times does one or another of the Newmans have to nudge him aside before he either just resigns himself to being whatever numbered banana, behind Victor, Nick, Victoria, possibly even Adam, or just takes some of that money he has to have socked away and finds a business of his own to build for his future generations? No, Neil will never be a Newman, but as Victor said, he is indeed too valuable to let some other company snap him up. I really think Newman is big enough so they can work something out so Neil has a piece of the pie that only he gets to take a knife and fork to, but he may as well permanently park his resentment about being passed over for not being a Newman. It is what it is. Being valuable will just have to be enough.

Chloe is another example of a woman who perhaps should have thought a bit more carefully before rubbing that magic lamp and demanding the Genie grant her heart's desire. Chloe schemed, manipulated and did her dirty worst to wrest Cane from Lily. Now she has him and is practically going bananas with boredom. I don't blame her. With his constant how are yous, what can I get you's, and is the baby all rights, Cane is even getting on my last nerve.

Speaking of Cane, when is someone going to have that clod arrested and sue him for all the Chancellor cash they can settle for? I guess no one ever told Cane that in a civilized society, even one such as Genoa City, most adults settle their differences with words not fists. Yet, lately, Cane is going around belting anyone he so chooses. Should someone perhaps spell anger management for him?

And while I'm on the subject of Jill's sons, what is with Billy anyway? On the one hand, we see him listing for Lily all the reasons he's on his way to loving her. Yet, it seems clear he isn't quite as immune to Chloe as he's working so hard to make them both believe. Maybe I'm imbuing him with sterling qualities he doesn't possess, but he already seems half in love with that child Chloe's carrying and that affection will likely grow once she's actually a reality outside the womb. Which could mean yet another heartbreak waiting in the wings for Lily. Some girls have all the luck. Bad, that is.And finally, when it comes to bad luck, are all magazines that catastrophe plagued, or is Restless Style just special? Deadline delays, printer problems, cover model malfunctions, if it's not one thing, it's certainly going to be something else. What is Phyllis going to do when yet another cover model breaks his or her leg or the law and there are no more family members to press into service in their stead? Nothing against the guy, but Daniel as a cover model? In Amber's plastic jacket? Hard to imagine.

And the thought of Amber brings me to the one out of tune note in the week's opera. Enough with the Kevin killed Mrs. C. scenario. It's senseless and not the least bit buyable. Not to mention ... boring!

Well, those were the high and low points for me. All in all, Y&R has improved immeasurably and I am hooked all over again. Rest assured, I will be tuning in next week, on pins and needles to see what will happen next. If all goes well, I'll be back on this page in a week, providing my biased opinion about it all. See you then. In the meantime, as always, enjoy what your fellow fans had to say about Genoa City stuff.

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Colleen - I don't like Chloe either and honestly, I hope both Cane and Billy reject her. But, I must say Cane is just dumb. The DNA came back, and while it didn't rule him out, it didn't confirm 100%. That would be enough for me to delve further. And, speaking of DNA, how 'bout a test to prove Kay is really Kay. That would shut Jill up for about 5 minutes. What a horrible creature! I wonder what that idiot Amber will have to say when she finds out that Catherine is NOT dead. She is useless.

Kamal - Once again I'm with you in regards to most of what is going on in GC. Victor, Jack, Gloria, Michael, Olivia, Phyllis, Jill - all despicable in some way, shape or form. I must be one of the few fans that actually like Heather. Granted she does have the tunnel vision problem in spades. But I see that mostly comes from her very black/white, right/wrong view of the world. Given her somewhat troubled childhood with an abusive step-father I can understand how she is the way she is regarding the law. Yet and still I hope that she can be softened more as time progresses. I'm more disappointed in the writers taking her down this road traveled once before where her ambition takes priority of her using her common sense. I can see where she's coming from regarding Adam. In the back of her mind she thought his proposal might have been more initiated as a legal maneuvering. His "confession" to forging the diary put much of the relationship in doubt. I really do like the Adam/Heather pairing as they seem to bring out each other's softer sides. I have hope that perhaps they can work things out down the line. Otherwise I'd think Heather's days in GC would be numbered unfortunately.

Angie - Thank you for expressing my feeling about this Chloe character and some of the Y&R disappointments. I also like my villainous in my soaps. But this Chloe character is too cartoonish and not relatable. She is not the type of villainous that you love to hate, in which you're eager to watch what she will do next. What I do find with this character is someone you want to ff the scenes. Her snarky comments are not charming - I'm not feeling this character at all. Just curious, does EH have a strong fan base? The Chloe s/l totally destroyed the Lily and Cane couple, making them look downright stupid and so gullible. I don't recognize Lily and Cane couple anymore. I think these soap writers have to recognize the intelligence of its viewers. We know our characters' MO and when their storyline is not plausible we can't go with the flow. Right now I am a disheartened & disenchanted Y&R watcher D.Small - As much as I DO agree with you about the fact that there is too much singing going on at times on Y & R, the episode that aired on Wed. Dec. 31 that ended with a song by Anna was hauntingly beautiful! I'd like to know the name of it and if it is available anywhere.

Tanya - Somebody please send Neil to work somewhere else. I'm sick of Victor appointing him CEO and then when his brats get back in his good graces, he wants "the family to run Newman Enterprises". Where the heck was the family when he turned the reigns over to Neil?

Frieda - Still crackin' up at Kosmonat from last week. I just want to offer my vote for getting rid of the whole Winters (except Lily) storyline. If it changed into something a little more palatable, we could keep some of them, but for sure Tyra and Ana have to go. I'm tired of Tyra and the rolling of the eyes and Ana with the singing of the songs and sad sack expressions. It's painful to watch, so I don't. Thank God for FF.

Tall and Jazzie - I too am sick of Chloe! I would like for Cane/Lily to find out about her deception, but I would like to see them back together again, I think they made a really good couple! As for Billy and Chloe, I could care less if they get together or not! I also hope Summer is Jack's baby, although he is as deceitful as the day is long he needs some kind of joy in his sad little life! Oh and can we please do something about that goody two-shoes act Sharon has! Geesh, does the woman ever do anything wrong? One last thing - I'd like to see Nick and Sharon back together!

Cheryl - I am truly amazed that, for the people who have heard the woman claiming to be Katherine, all, without question, believe she is Marge. Intelligence in GC is a little difficult to find right now. I get that you would first think it was Marge coming back to take advantage of the situation to get money, but I would surely think that any reasonably thinking person would pause to consider that this is actually Katherine and do whatever tests it took to find that out. I am looking forward to that moment when they realize Katherine is not dead and am more looking forward to who Katherine teams up with to confront the naysayers. I think a romance with Murphy might be just what the story needs. He would be protective of Katherine and stand his ground against anyone, I am sure. As for Cane, his doting after Chloe is sickening. Why doesn't he hire someone or let Esther take care of her daughter? I like Billy. He certainly is smarter than Cane, who is sharing a brain with someone, somewhere. Scheming, lying Chloe is set up to get plenty of cash, regardless of what happens, but Billy and Chloe need to be exposed and soon. I would like to see the look on Chloe's face if, because of her lies, she had to answer to the law. The Abbots could get custody of the baby. Chloe is definitely not capable of truly caring for anyone except herself.

Elizabeth - Phyllis has to be the trashiest hypocrite this show has seen. Why are her wedding vows so sacrosanct that she expects Sharon, of all people, to give her marriage the respect that Phyllis was never willing to give to Sharon? I, too, am baffled by the number of fans who think Sharon's sins should be held forever against her, while Phyllis gets a pass for attempted murder and a score of other heinous deeds. Sharon's actions fairly scream that she's learned from her past mistakes, something that Phyllis never does. Phyllis never learned to not be a liar and manipulator, never learned not to be a criminal, and never learned to stop sticking her nose in other people's business! Case in point- Lily's paternity! However, perhaps it would serve me much better to remember that one cannot easily find the moral high ground while slithering around on one's belly!

And . . . my fan giggle of the week:

Eve - I've been watching the ads for Y&R about how the Cane/Chloe/Lily/Billy scenario will bust loose and "passions will surprise you!" The only way it's going to surprise me is if Cane and Billy end up in a lip-lock. Because I've seen this whole "torn between two brothers" crap way too many times on Y&R. Personally, I'm sick of it, and I'm just waiting for something better. Like Chloe putting the moves on Jack. Or killing Brad in self-defense. I mean, if Brad's gotta go, that would be one way to take him out. Or, of course, Cane getting a brain.