Sacrificial lambs of Genoa City

It's that time of year when the spirit of giving takes over. Well, it must be permeating the Genoa City air, because its residents are giving their all (including lies and self-incrimination) for the ones they love.

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Ho, Ho, and Ho! Is it possible that all the Christmas cheer, good will toward men, it's better to give than receive sentiment floating in the air these days could have affected selected Genoa Citians? How else to explain the mini-wave of self-sacrifice lapping against certain Genoa City curbs?

For instance, after weeks of selfishly ordering his minions to keep Billy mostly locked out of his loved ones' lives, the ever-scowling curmudgeon, Victor, has tossed off his villain cape, donned his clanking armor, and ridden his white steed to a lather to rescue Nikki from her own drunken self.

Victor's confession to killing Diane was a sacrificial twist that I never saw coming. Whether or not this unselfish act of love will mostly erase the bad taste left in many fans' mouths for what Victor did to Billy remains to be seen. Speaking for myself alone, I'm already over Victor's bad behavior with Billy. After all, Billy has his bunny back in his arms, Restless Style has returned to his rule, and all is mostly right in his world with Delia and Chloe. As they say, no harm, no foul. And the bonus was the newly forged friendship between Billy, Kevin, and Cane. I was satisfied with the trade-off, even without Victoria's current refusal to forgive her allegedly well-meaning father. We know that forgiveness likely won't be too long in coming.

Unfortunately, now that Nikki has been tricked into marrying the slime-saturated Deacon, Victor's supreme sacrifice might have been for naught.

Speaking of the sloshed one, it's long past time for girlfriend to get a damn grip! She needs to stop slugging down vodka long enough to use the few brain cells she hasn't yet pickled to think at least semi-straight. If she had, she likely would never have bought Deacon's cockamamie tale that a daddy and daughter tag team did in Diane. Or made herself a sacrificial lamb to save them.

I refuse to believe that any of the Newmans whacked Diane to death. My penny will likely remain until the bitter end on Patty's likeness on the board. People do have a way of dying mysteriously or unexpectedly when she's around, though she's never been charged with their demise. Cases in point: Richard Hightower, Colleen Carlton, and, of course, poor Mr. Kitty, who somehow managed to get on Patty's bad side, and next found himself staring fixedly at the world through glass eyes.

However, recent developments have caused me to now point a tentative finger at Deacon as well. Perhaps he and Patty worked in tandem, although Patty might not have been aware she had help. Maybe Patty injected Diane and left her facedown in the pond. Deacon could have come along, seen Diane coming to and decided, for whatever reason, to finish the job. Nikki could have happened onto the scene and tried to save Diane, in the process, picking up the rock and getting blood on her clothes before passing out. Hey, I'm just guessing like the rest of you. Truthfully, the way this hole-filled story keeps growing and changing, who knows who will eventually be labeled the head-bashing killer.

Nikki and Victor's respective sacrifices ensure the star-crossed lovers, in true soap fashion, will be kept apart for who knows how long. Because, naturally, Nikki won't tell Victor the true reason she married Deacon, and without knowing the truth, Victor can't refute Deacon's version of the murderous truth. Sigh. I'm weary just thinking about all the probable misunderstandings ahead.

When it comes to weariness, I trust I'm not the sole fan already tired of mewling Patty with her scarves, veils, and convenient cloak of invisibility. Apparently in an age where cameras record practically our every move, none of them are placed where they could spot Patty peering through the Abbott doors and windows, nor skulking unnoticed on Newman Enterprises property. Now, Patty's near-exact double, Emily, has appeared on the scene, and that can only mean one thing: the pretzel twists in this tale are far from over.

Before I move on from the murder, I must take a moment for a belly-busting har-de-har at Noah's understated reaction to Grandpa's arrest. Noah has become so accustomed to his family being front-page news; this latest event didn't even faze him, nor cause him to think twice about heading off to New York to place as much distance as possible between himself and his dysfunctional family.

Unlike her son, Sharon is not nearly so nonchalant about Victor's situation, vowing to save him from himself. So, volunteering herself as a sacrificial lamb, she totters off in her little high heels, to beard the Adam lion in his Newman den. Unfortunately, despite what Sharon says, she's clearly conflicted when it comes to Adam, and is likely to end up falling right back under the spell he seems able to cast upon her. She's fighting it now, but is that a battle she can win? And how much time might it cost her with Faith this time if she succumbs?

When it comes to Adam and Sharon, I've got one leg dangling on each side of the fence, and as you might imagine, it's a precarious, and somewhat uncomfortable position. Despite the diabolical things Adam has done to Sharon, I know I'm not the only fan who detects the heat between these two. Besides, who else are the scribes to pair them with if not one with the other? None of the current roster of ladies would be likely to welcome Adam into their life, let alone their beds.

As for Sharon, many fans have repeatedly insisted the love boat has sailed out to sea when it comes to Nick and Sharon. In fact, many want Nick and Phyllis as the couple, though I find them seriously mismatched. The scribes have scripted Sharon with every other available man in the paltry pool of Genoa City men, save Victor, and in spite of her current championship of him now, I shudder in revulsion at the thought of going even one step down that particular path. Given all that, an eventual reunion between Sharon and Adam seems inevitable.

But, should Sharon decide to return to Adam, will the choice cost her Faith? I'm annoyed by Nick's demand that Sharon ban Adam from her life to continue having contact with Faith. Even though Nick believes Adam isn't fit to walk among the living dead of Genoa City, he's not the overseer of Sharon's life. Not a single court found Adam's presence a danger to Faith, and until one does, Nick has no right to dictate who Sharon can or can't have in her life. I'm with Sharon. Take his sleeping-around mutt behind back to court and demand your visitation, with or without Adam as a factor.

Having said that, however, I do understand Nick's position. He's seen firsthand the damage Adam has caused, and will undoubtedly continue to cause, in the lives of anyone who comes close. So I can't completely condemn Nick for fearing the excess fallout could land on his daughter. As long as it really is all about protecting Faith and not about punishing or controlling Sharon.

Life continues to improve for Billy. I'm happy to see his name back on the ownership papers of Restless Style. If he's smart, he'll never reinstate the whirling red dervish, Phyllis, as its editor-in-chief. I hope his memory is longer than those Genoa City residents who forgave Phyllis her vindictive transgressions almost before she committed them. He should remember, for at least a little while, the havoc she caused when she decided to take Lucy from a loving and complete family home, only to turn her over to nannies and sitters so she could continue ruining reputations and having revenge sex every time she suspected Nick was sexing her sister.

Not that being a former employee of Restless Style will keep Phyllis from her rein of magazine mayhem. Apparently, Ricky's initial ire for the harm Phyllis caused his sister has faded. Now, he wants to be Restless Style's next editor-in-chief, and is willing to make a deal with one of the devil's most proficient handmaidens, to achieve that. Be careful of putting your fingers too close to the flames, Ricky. You might just wind up with third-degree burns.

I absolutely loved the bonding between Gloria and Jill. If the scribes refuse to give Jill or Gloria a long-time love interest, at least we can enjoy a friendship forming between these two. Their mutual commiseration over the bad boys in their lives was unexpectedly good and completely entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud several times. If they ever need new members for their "Bad Boys and the Foolish, Foolish Women Who Can't Get Enough" club, they should place their first two invites to Sharon and Nikki.

Speaking of bad boys, what the heck happened to make Jeffrey end up seemingly alone on a desert island? Could it be that Jeffrey was forced to pen that Dear-Gloria-I-ran-off-with-all-your-money letter? Hmmm, I think I smell a rat. A portly, long-toothed one named Angelo, perhaps.

I guess you could sort of call Devon a sacrificial lamb. Except, he's not really risking much. Like most fans, the mob angle of this tale barely holds my interest. Obviously, working with Angelina is just the vehicle to prove Devon's got what it takes to be a music mogul. Because if he can make that tone-deaf warbler sound good, he can consider himself a success, and Angelo will be his friend for life. Although I'm not sure if that would be a good thing, considering the fear people seem to have of this guy. This story might have had more impact if we all didn't already know Angelina has a beautiful voice.

I'm not quite sure why Kevin would sacrifice himself on Angelo's altar just to ensure Chloe and Delia got their dream house. Didn't he learn anything from the last time he wound up under Angelo's thumb? Gee, Kevin, most people with jobs, would, oh I don't know, take out a mortgage and make monthly payments on their dream house. When you lie down with mob dogs, Kevin, you might find that when arising, you and your blanket are infested with pesky, biting fleas. Good luck with that.

And now the credits for this week's column are about to roll. Now that I've had my say, it's your chance to speak up. Send me your thoughts by clicking on the Feedback option at the top of the page, or just by clicking here. Your comments could appear in a future Two Scoops!

* * * * * * *

The way I would sum up the last year of the Y&R is it is no longer a soap opera. It is now a crime/drama/horror show. I think the writing is terrible and the "R" in the Y&R stands for recycled and repetitive. I am so bored with most of the story lines I literally fall asleep watching. I have watched the show since day one, but am really getting sick of it. If the writers don't want the show to go the way of other soap operas - they need to write something new, quit beating the story lines to death and go back to a soap opera genre. -- Carole

I know the writers think they know best but this is an outrage. We waited for Nikki to come back to the show, and what do we get, a falling down drunk who marries a pathetic con man. We don't want to deal with this nonsense! When are the writers going to learn to give us what we want -- good strong story lines -- not stories that will surely get the soap cancelled? -- Linda

This whole Diane murder scene has been playing out for too long. They need to stop implicating this person and that person and get it over with. I'm getting tired of the same old things. Especially with Patty and of course they had to bring Emily back into the picture also. There's always a twin or double of some kind appearing on the show. Come on, find a different story line or just end it all together! -- Carolyn

I don't think Diane is dead. That is my final outcome for this whole thing. I love Billy & Victoria together and think they are the best Couple ever. Nikki's confession about killing Diane doesn't make sense because she doesn't even remember clearly what happened that night. Victor's confession doesn't make up for the things he has been doing. I would love to see Victoria start her own cosmetics company and compete with Newman Enterprises. -- Tanya