The king of the world will crash and burn

Jack thinks he's the king of the world because of all he's conquered in the business world, but you just know he's doomed. The pain pills, his ego, or Victor will bring Jack down. At least Sharon's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder so she can return to being a normal character, albeit one on medication. There's lots of action on Y&R, so get ready for some number crunching in this week's Two Scoops.

So Jack Abbott thinks he's the king of the world because he owns Newman Enterprises, Jabot, and Beauty of Nature. Well, kings get dethroned or beheaded or toppled by other kings, and that's just what's going to happen to Mr. Abbott. Jack is so full of himself -- such a blowhard -- that I can't wait for the day when he's knocked off his perch again. It'll serve him right for treating his family -- Ashley and Billy in particularly -- with such disdain. I'd rather see him taken down by his own hubris, but I suspect he's going to get hooked on pain pills. They seem to be telegraphing that storyline, don't you think?

By the way, did you hear him say that he actually saved thousands of jobs at Newman Enterprises since becoming CEO? When did that happen? Was it while he was having surgery in the hospital? Did he sneak in some executive order when he wasn't removing Victor's portrait from the wall? Why were the jobs in jeopardy anyway? I thought Victoria had done such a bang-up job after Sharon was ousted? I know, I know, I ask too many questions.

Presumably, the Newmans have been too busy with their personal lives to make any traction in getting the family company back. Apparently, they've also been too busy to notice that one member of the family, Abby, has completely disappeared. Don't they think that Abby might be interested to learn that her sister Victoria has been kidnapped? Maybe Abby was abducted by Carmine again and nobody cared?

Seriously, though, when Billy couldn't come up with the two million-dollar ransom, did it ever occur to him to turn to Abby, who just so happens to have $500 million in her bank account? It occurred to me that Abby would be far more interested in helping Billy than Nikki ever would. Abby would have helped Billy, no questions asked.

However, in the rush to change executive producer and head writer, this is what we've had to deal with at The Young and the Restless. Storylines are being moved in and out with such alacrity that things invariably fall by the wayside. It was actually amazing that Christine even bothered to mention that Heather had not returned with her from California because she made a stop in Chicago.

Apparently the next storyline iteration we'll see is that Heather has decided to stay in Chicago -- which makes no sense because she's in love with Daniel and has this new, tight relationship with Paul. Oh well, I'm sure there'll be some excuse for her exiting Genoa City again.

So I guess that means Heather's apartment will be available to sublet again? Maybe then the new tenant will find all of the hidden cameras and microphones that Ricky planted in place? That's a big leftover plot point that has never been resolved.

You can definitely see the telltale signs of new storylines cropping up all over the canvas. There is Jamie being cyberbullied by Summer and Fenmore, the new GC Buzz gossip columnist, Noah getting mystery money from Adriana, and the renewed romance between Paul and Christine. Even the reconnection between Phyllis and Jack is a new twist on an old story.

However, I can't take it anymore when it comes to Phyllis. Why does every man in town feel sorry for this woman? Yes, she's beautiful and alluring, but she's also a serial liar and has redefined the word selfish. She's also brought most of the misery in her life on herself. She's completely clueless when it comes to accepting personal responsibility. And Summer has turned out pretty much just like her mother.

Granted, Michelle Stafford is a fabulous actress. Many, many fans forgive Phyllis just because they like Michelle. Phyllis is a dynamic character, and Michelle plays the hell out of her. But as a viewer, I just don't respect Phyllis. It's more than just the fact that she's gotten away with attempted murder. It's that she seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that she hurts people over and over and over again, yet she sees herself as a victim.

It wasn't Nick who destroyed their marriage. He asked Phyllis to confide in him, to trust him. Instead of believing her husband, Phyllis chose to turn to Ronan. She may have resisted fornicating with Ronan until after Nick left their home, but she'd already shown her husband complete disrespect by using an affair with Ronan as an alibi. She'd already destroyed that marriage by then.

Does it make it any better that now she feels bad about what she did? Or that Phyllis realizes that Ronan's not the man she wants long-term? Does she even know what she wants? I wonder. I guess Jack has forgotten that in his long history with Phyllis, she's hurt him, because he's ready to jump right back into the sack with her.

Speaking of jumping back in the sack, I have to say I like the idea of Christine and Paul reuniting. I never truly bought into Nina and Paul as a couple. They seemed more like friends than lovers. While I don't relish the idea of seeing Nina hurt, I do like the prospect of Christine remaining in Genoa City -- with Paul.

I didn't think it was possible, but the new head writer has done a good job of pulling Sharon out of the storyline purgatory in which she'd been trapped. Since she's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she will be exonerated for burning down the Newman ranch. Heck, Victor may even forgive her for all the bizarre things she did while suffering from such a serious mental illness. Perhaps by Christmastime, the Newmans might actually show some kindness to Sharon once again. At least until they take down the tree.

When I heard they were bringing Jill back from Australia, I thought it would be for a better storyline than this drivel about her and Kay working together. Sorry, friends, but the idea of Jill and Katherine heading up Chancellor Industries is nothing but a big yawn. What do we expect to happen in the corporate boardroom? You think they're going to get into a knockdown-dragout fight or something? No, this just seems like a ploy to give the characters something to do. Haven't we seen enough number-crunching at Newman Enterprises? Really, watching people working in offices is boring.

Another going-nowhere storyline is Lily and Cane. When are they ever going to have some interesting conflict? Right now, they have nothing to do but eat at the Athletic Club and play kissy-face. Of course, part of the problem is that the show got rid of Genevieve. Notice that I didn't say her story was ever resolved. They just sent Genie Francis out the door, leaving the Claude Shirl mystery a mystery. We could use a little Sherlock Holmes on this show!

I like the new actor they cast to play Noah. I thought he was very good in the scenes with Sharon and Faith this past week. Also, he held his own with Adam. I imagine we're going to find out pretty soon who Adriana is and why she sent him a satchel filled with money. Sounds like Noah was doing something shady in New York.

I fully expect Victoria to be back in Genoa City by next week. Will she be ticked off with Billy, or has she come the realization that her husband has a checkered past? If she is upset with Billy and leaves him (again), I'm going to be sorely disappointed. It's not that Billy doesn't deserve to be smacked around, but Victoria has already tried living apart from Billy, and it doesn't work for her. She loves Billy, even if he is a bad boy.

What's more troubling will be Victor's reaction to Billy and Victoria reuniting. You know he's going to use what happened in Los Angeles against Billy. But will that be enough for Victoria to wash her hands of Billy? I don't think so. The fact of the matter is this -- Billy makes mistakes. That's the character's DNA. Either Victoria accepts him, warts and all, or she doesn't. As for Victor, it's time he accepts that he has an Abbott for a son-in-law. Maybe Vic should recall that Billy risked his life to rescue Victor in that warehouse fire?

I have a random question, but it's been bothering me. What happened to Billy and Victoria's dog? Was Segundo, Victor's dog, saved from the fire? What about the horses in the Newman stable? Also Lily and Cane had a little Yorkshire Terrier named Humphrey; where is he? I worry about these animals, even if they are just fictional characters! Do you think Abby ever got her beloved horses back? Sadly, I don't. Speaking of pets, I would have given Avery a pussycat. A cute little tabby would have fit in with her single-girl apartment.

I thought it was a rare moment of honesty on Jeffrey's part when he admitted that he wasn't sorry that Glowworm burned to the ground. I do think it was ridiculous for Kevin to think his mother was going to hand him her insurance check for seven million dollars to invest in TagNGrab. I don't know how it is in your family, but my mother never handed me a million bucks to prove that she believed in me. It was silly for Kevin to think that Gloria would do that.

I'm a little worried about Kevin and Chloe these days. They seem to be going nowhere. The website idea was clever, but it wasn't realistic. I never believed for a second that they were going to become Internet millionaires. Also, in the middle of all this web business, Kevin got himself involved with Phyllis and Tim and moving a dead body. Exactly how serious was he about the business when you consider how reckless he acted?

As I mentioned in my last column, Restless Style seems to have disappeared. Chloe may need to start that fashion business with Chelsea, just to give her something to do. Since I brought up Chelsea, let's talk about her and Adam. I sympathize with Chelsea insofar as Adam is preoccupied with Sharon. But I do believe that Adam loves Chelsea and wants their marriage to work. If she cannot find a way to trust him, Adam is going to get involved with Sharon again. Chelsea is just pushing him away. I hate to put it that way because it makes Chelsea sound like a neurotic wife, but that's how she's acting.

That's it for this week, fellow fans. So, till the next time, let's take a look at some letters from the mailbox. And remember to click here to send me your thoughts. They could very well appear in a future column!

• I was getting excited thinking Phyllis was finally going to pay for what she did to Cricket and Paul. But yet again she gets away with it. It doesn't take a genius to see that the whole court thing was rigged. The judge suddenly falls ill then the new judge quickly dismisses the case. Now come on. I used to like Ronan. I liked that he couldn't be bought or threatened. But now he acts like a love-sick puppy who needs to be "fixed." I lost all respect for him when he started covering up things to protect Phyllis. And does she care about him. NO!! She's a user. He can't see it. I hope Chris succeeds in making her lawsuit against her stick. Somebody needs to bring her down. -- Jackie

• I agree about Genie Francis. What a treasure and Y&R sent her packing. Bad move. They should have improved her character. Secondly, I love Sharon and Adam together. Chelsea is about as exciting as paint drying on a wall. Sharon and [Adams Adam] belong together. Bring in that wonderful former OLTL actress, Bree Williamson, as Heather or another character. She would be a real asset to Y&R. -- Crystal

• I couldn't disagree with you more about Avery and her "refreshing" character. While I admit the relationships between characters borders on incestuous, I just cannot get on board with Avery chasing Nick. Regardless of their dysfunctional relationship, why would a woman desperate to reconnect with her sister and win her approval start an affair with said sister's soon-to-be ex-husband when you know your sister is still in love with him? I can't even fathom that. And, frankly, I find Avery super boring, and I believe that ultimately Nick will as well. -- Ellen

Best,Allison