The show must go on

Ashley considered a submission from a rat. Sharon revealed the truth to Mariah about her birth. What kind of narcotic was Ian carrying around in those syringes? And Michael kept striking out at bat. Could something more be causing his lack of performance? To learn more, read this week's Two Scoops.

It was another Labor Day week, which meant another shortened week for our favorite soap! Yes, two episodes of The Young and the Restless were preempted for the U.S. Open during the holiday week, and I would make a joke about how there has been more "love" on the tennis courts than there has been on our favorite soap this year, but I believe I made the same jest last year.

So I will forego the scoring comment and announce instead that this is a time filled with excitement and a wee bit of anxiousness for me because I am currently playing Miss Stephanie Crawford, the gossipy neighbor, in the classic play To Kill a Mockingbird that will run throughout the month of September at Corpus Christi's Harbor Playhouse, one of the oldest and finest community theaters in Texas. What an honor!

You could even play "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (Separation)" for To Kill a Mockingbird and The Young and the Restless about this.

1. In the play To Kill a Mockingbird, I portray Miss Stephanie Crawford.

2. Miss Stephanie Crawford was played by Alice Ghostley in the movie.

3. Alice Ghostley was in the television series Bewitched and was the vanishing nanny, Esmeralda.

4. Esmeralda was the name of Devon's former girlfriend in The Young and the Restless.

Oh, I guess that's only four steps. But see, you can link almost anything to soaps! And speaking of the drama in soaps, because the show must go on in both community theatre and in our favorite serials, as we all know, Phyllis Summers Newman was recast with Gina Tognoni because the character of Phyllis was just too rich and important to lose. That can also be said for the character of Adam Newman, who was just recently recast with Justin Hartley. Fan Loretta comments:

I have been watching Y&R for over 15 years. So many fine actors have come and gone. I must say, when M Muhney replaced the first ADAM, I wasn't sure this actor was the right fit. However, I grew to absolutely love him. Great disappointment when he was going to be replaced. Upon learning that Justin Hartley is the replacement, faith renewed.....good work casting director....

Loretta, I totally agree with you, although I have to say that it took me quite a while to like Michael Muhney's version. But that was mainly because of the stuff he pulled on Sharon and Ashley regarding Sharon's baby. I hated Sharon and Adam together solely for that reason, and I was glad when Adam finally moved on with Chelsea. To me, Adam and Chelsea were a better fit for each other because each tried to help the other. That was when I first started to like Adam and I was sorry when he was gone. Therefore, I am so looking forward to seeing what Justin Hartley can do with this very complex character. I am intrigued. (Plus he is rather cute.)

Back to Phyllis, I can't wait to see what happens next with this storyline! How much of Phyllis' memory will be affected by her coma? The doctor even mentioned to Jack that her perceptions could be different, and he wasn't sure if her memory would be affected. How much longer will we have to wait to find out? The viewers have already waited for over a year for Phyllis to return and for the possibility of Sharon's secret to come out. It was a bit unnerving to watch Phyllis stare blankly into space. I was thinking, "Blink or something, Phyllis!" And, good...not only did she finally blink, but she also struggled to say one word - "Summer." It is time to kick-start this storyline back into high gear again. Finally, the wait is over!

But if Kelly already feels threatened by a comatose Phyllis, what will a vital, radiant Phyllis do to Kelly's confidence? Actually, it might be easier for Kelly to battle a vigorous, spirited being than to try to conquer the memories of the lady as she once was. How could Kelly possibly win over the reminders of a cherished one, who continued to grow more perfect and desirable as time passed? And there were certainly enough reminders of Phyllis in Jack's house, although I must admit that I do like the red gloves. They are so Phyllis. I guess Jack believed that if he packed away Phyllis' stuff, he could pack away his memories of her. Good luck with that!

Actually, the timing couldn't be better for Phyllis' return because Sharon just learned that Mariah was her daughter -- Cassie's twin. Sharon can finally be reunited with Nick and have the family that she has been longing for and the happiness that has eluded her for years. That is, if she can get Mariah on board. So far, Mariah is not being very cooperative. I noticed that her crush on Nick still existed though. You have to wonder what Ian injected into Mariah with his sharp little needle. Was it more than just a sedative? It has been rather difficult for us to determine if Mariah was acting uncharacteristically, since we really don't know the redheaded girl all that well.

Luckily for Sharon, Nick was able to convince Mariah to stay in town, although I believe the shine of her crush on him became somewhat dull. I give Nick credit, though, for explaining to the young minx that he would never be able to think of Mariah as anything other than a daughter due to her resemblance to Cassie. I still cannot believe that Mariah could think that there could be anything of a romantic nature between them. It never mattered to Nick that Cassie was not his biological daughter; he still loved her as his own. With Mariah, it will be the same.

Mariah is another character who likes to shoot herself in the foot and tends to be her own worst enemy. She believed she had the right to be mean and nasty to Sharon because of the remarks Sharon had made after she learned that the young girl had planned to seduce Nick. Grow up, Mariah! You were the one in the wrong, not Sharon! Mariah made it sound like Sharon just gave her away when Sharon never even knew she existed. I know that Mariah had a rough life without a loving mother, but sometimes you just have to take responsibility for your own actions. She has the chance to turn her life around with a loving family, and she should grab the opportunity. Sometimes it's just easier though to keep blaming others for your downfall so that you never have to own up to anything you do. (Ian!)

The Mariah/Cassie twin storyline is another that I am looking forward to watching, and I hope that more is revealed about Frank Barritt as their father. Finally, two storylines, Phyllis' and Mariah's, that have me excited about tuning in each day. And the rest of the show isn't just mashed potatoes either. With Ashley's return just around the corner, Y&R is getting better and better all the time, although I will admit that I was a tad off when I stated that Stitch would not be the next guy that Abby would go after. After that unexpected kiss last week, I am not so certain about that now. Sure, Abby, your smooching Stitch was just for Tyler's benefit. Right. Okey-dokey! Hey, maybe Abby and Ashley will be interested in the same guy. Wouldn't that be fun?!

With Abby's constant denial that she could ever be interested in a man like Stitch, she has to be falling for him. I mean, he is just way too much on her radar right now. You can always tell when two people are about to be paired up because all of a sudden, they keep running into each other everywhere they go, whether deliberately or unintentionally. The same thing goes for whenever two potential lovebirds are trying to avoid each other (such as Devon and Hilary or Billy and Chelsea.) It's just in the cards for the two to keep bumping into each other. While it is true that Abby kissed Stitch to get a rise out of Tyler, I suspect that there is more to it than that. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (Credit to the timeless William Shakespeare for this quote from Hamlet.)

But Ashley is back at Jabot, and hip-hip-hooray! The Abbotts and the fans have missed her. Ashley did not return empty-handed, though, as she brought along a brilliant idea for an earth-shattering fragrance that would be a gold mine for Jabot. Yes, Ashley intended to work at Jabot again as long as Jack offered her the position of co-CEO, and he was more than open to the idea as long as his sister could deliver the goods. So, who submitted to Ashley the most promising and fantastic rsum of all the lab rats in the land? Why, our dear friend, Benjamin Russell, also known as Stitch, of course.

I can most certainly see a triangle developing here...Abby, Stitch, and Ashley. And if Victoria remains in the picture, I guess that would be a quadrangle. But I am not so sure that Victoria will still be in Ben's universe unless the baby is his. Victoria realized that she had always been hesitant to get too serious about the probably soon-to-be ex-doctor, so she said what almost sounded like a final farewell to Stitch. But you know it can't be that easy. In fact, that almost guarantees that Stitch will be the father of Victoria's baby, if past storylines in soaps are any indication.

Victoria has also been softening more and more toward Billy, especially after he told her that he had received their final divorce papers on the fourth year anniversary of his very romantic proposal to her -- the proposal that Victoria found to be the most exciting, heart-stopping thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life. You know, the type of proposal that made Victoria's heart go pitter-patter. Now, that's the way to ask a girl to marry you, Billy. If the lady can remember every detail of the special moment years later, you did it right.

Sadly, Victoria's fond memories did not stretch far enough for her to tear up the divorce papers. Victoria reflected that even with all the love, she and Billy had hurt each other repeatedly, and she knew that their marriage was over. Chelsea's phone call to Billy confirmed Victoria's decision. Billy had the line of the week when he said, "You know, the thing about endings...they're what you need for a new beginning." That is so true, and there could be something new and exciting around the next corner for each of them. Now they can begin their next journey down the road (but not the path!) that will hopefully be filled with thrilling experiences and a fresh chance for love.

However, if Ashley had her way, that new journey would never happen. As it turned out, Ashley decided to hire Stitch to work on her fragrance to keep him under her thumb so that Billy and Victoria could reunite. Gee, wouldn't it have been better for Billy if Ashley had let Stitch leave town? It just seems to me that Billy would have a better chance of winning back Victoria's love if Stitch were not around.

I don't know. Ashley can talk all she wants but I suspect she has more of a personal reason to keep dear Ben around. I think Ashley not only wanted to see what kind of chemistry he can work in the lab, she also wished to explore the chemistry that existed when they first met. Adding Billy to the mix creates a potentially dynamic concoction. Will she be able to handle the results?

When Ashley works her magic again at Jabot, one employee that will not be there, at least for the time being, is Neil, who decided to go on a temporary paid leave of absence. Oh yes, I said paid. Jack decided that it was time to reward Neil for all his devoted service with the company, so Neil gets an extended leave, for as long as he needs, and continues to get paid on top of it. Bless his poor little ol' pea-picking heart! (I just remembered the other day that my grandmother used to say that expression all the time, so I felt that I had to use it.) Where can I find a job with benefits like that?!

But I really do feel bad for Neil because not only was he blind, he realized how many things he would no longer be able to do until his sight returned. I guess that would be a wake-up call. Maybe he will finally get the help and training he needs to cope so that he will no longer have to play the victim. Even when Hilary tried to help him, Neil wouldn't let her, which would have defeated the whole purpose if he was suffering from hysterical blindness to keep her tied to him.

At least Neil was willing to let Hilary help him enough to drive him home. I am sure all of the Genoa Citizens on the streets were grateful! With no definite time frame in sight (so to speak), Neil's blindness could last for years, or he could regain his eyesight the next day. If Neil continues to be wise and strong in dealing with his affliction, he may end up winning Hilary's heart after all. Now if only Devon could move on.

Come on, even Michael was getting wise to Devon and his lack of admiration for supermodel, Sasha. Devon has never had any concerns about covering up his feelings for his father's wife, not even to prevent causing Neil any hurt or pain -- and the explosion that took his dad's sight certainly didn't change that. It's like nothing else even matters to Devon but his love for Hilary.

Devon did lie to Michael and say that he was playing the field and even pointed out his (fake) date with Abby, but Michael could tell that he was hiding something. Jack said it best when he stressed to Devon to look out for Hilary, which was not the same thing as gazing at her. I'm betting that Devon is hoping that Neil finds out about their feelings for each other, one way or another.

Sorry to say that Ashley's new magical mixture, when it's finally developed, probably won't be able to help the romantic lives of either Michael and Lauren or Cane and Lily, only for opposite reasons. While Lily admitted that she and her hubby liked to mix things up in the bedroom to keep things spicy, Michael continued to have problems in that area. I still think there is a physical or medical reason for his lack of performance. For some crazy reason, I am reminded of a saying that a past coworker used to say to me years ago, "Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. And sometimes you don't even get up to bat." I would say this is true in Michael's case. Somehow it just seems appropriate. (No mental images, please!)

Why is Colin asking Cane for advice about fashion when his wife and sister-in-law are the experts? Cane wanted to know that, and so do I. It did give Cane the opportunity to try to trade his advice for information about Colin's mysterious meetings with Parks and Recreation. But Colin only claimed that he didn't want to be the "dorky greenhorn" to Jill, so Cane didn't get much there. Colin is always working an angle to fulfill the next step on his own agenda, and he obviously wanted something from Cane, but what? Colin still seemed a little too interested in Victor's job offer to Cane, but why? You know Colin has his own warped reasons for wanting to know. He always does.

Armed with his handy-dandy syringe, Ian and his villainy know no end. At least he finally admitted to Nikki that all of his past evil deeds were not for money and exclaimed that once you find your true path, the universe eliminates everything between you and your heart's desire or some such mumbo jumbo. Ha, that Ian is nothing if not consistent. I tend to agree with Paul and believe that Ian's true purpose in life was to humiliate Nikki after what he perceived as her disloyalty and treachery back in the cult days. She had to pay the price, and if he had only known about Dylan, he never would have had to stoop to taking Mariah from Sharon. Still, that had to have been a coincidence, since Sharon hadn't even known Nick at the time she was pregnant with Cassie and Mariah. Or was it?

How hypocritical was it for Ian to belittle Nikki for her addiction when he is as phony and deceitful as they come? And especially after he had just been saying how he had always admired her for her fire and her recklessness, blah, blah, blah. Okay, which is it, Ian? You either approve of Nikki or you don't. But in his case, it's probably both. Luckily, as Ian threatened her with the syringe filled with some unspecified narcotic, Nikki was able to send out a coded message to Dylan on the phone about a cold he was supposedly suffering from. Only, of course, Dylan didn't have a cold. Would Dylan be able to decipher the code in time? Oh, the suspense!

It has not escaped my attention that soaps tend to take a lot of liberties with alcohol addiction, and while it may help to create drama, it can also have some fans shaking their heads in wonder. For instance, Nikki is able to fall off the wagon at any time without any of her family or friends suspecting it in any way. However, a nondrinker family member should be able to smell the alcohol on her breath, especially if she's had several drinks.

To me, that has always been contradictory. Sure, she is mostly around Victor, and he may not notice if he also imbibes himself during the day, but if Nikki were to be around her daughter, who wouldn't be drinking in her condition, Victoria should be able to tell if Nikki had downed a couple of drinks. But no one on soaps ever notices. It's only the alcoholic's behavior that finally gives it away, and that is not always the case either. It's all just a little strange.

But back to Ian -- could his days be numbered now that superheroes Dylan and Paul are on the prowl? Avery did find Dylan in the coffee shop with blood on his shirt. Did Dylan take justice into his own hands? (We can only hope!) Ian may be on his way out, since we are already getting clues that Avery's ex-husband, Joe, is on his way in.

It almost seems, from Dylan, that Joe is being prepped to be the next villain, even though Avery was the one who cheated on Joe and then ended the marriage. But why would Dylan even think to include Joe as a suspect for the stalker email messages that Avery received? The guy seems to be the innocent and injured party. I guess we will learn more about him when he arrives in town (and we all know that he will).

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

I absolutely love Max Ehrich's performance as Hunter on Under the Dome and his new look. His facial hair makes him appear more mature; however, he still retains the nerdy, endearing charm of Fenmore Baldwin. Bravo!

Even Clarence was getting in on the act and showing his devotion to Ian with the line, "A true believer stays on the path." That may be one path that you might just want to jump off of, Bub!

Avery remembered with Jack something that Phyllis had once said to the CEO of a business, "Get out your joystick, and let's settle this." Kinky! Okay, I know they were referring to video games. Shoot, I even remember Pac-Man -- back when I was a baby in my mother's womb. Ha, ha! I won't even pretend to be that young. Actually, my personal favorite was Frogger. It was all right for me to splat a frog in the middle of a highway as long as it was not for real. I always drive out of my way to avoid hitting any creature on the road and it "drives" my husband nuts!It's hard to believe that Phyllis ever had a large, purple bunny named Mr. Ears. Red maybe.

When Mariah claimed that she didn't want Sharon's forgiveness, pity, soaps, or fluffy towels, I yelled out, "Wait, Mariah! Don't be too hasty!" I mean, you can never have enough fluffy towels.Summer never has to worry about Nick loving Mariah more than he loves her. There is always more than enough love to go around, and Nick has always thought of Summer as his daughter. But, of course, now that Phyllis has returned to us, the truth about Summer's paternity will hopefully not be too far behind. But who is Summer's father?

I found it strange that Victor would show Sharon's picture to Phyllis first, rather than Summer's. I realize that he hoped to get a reaction from Phyllis but to me, love for a child would get a faster response than hate for an enemy. But I am a mother, so I would think that. I guess Victor didn't realize just how powerful a mother's love can be.

Yippee! As announced by Soap Central, Billy Miller has officially joined General Hospital as Jason Morgan, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Since I couldn't have him back as Billy Abbott, I will love to see what he can bring to the character of Jason, who has never really been allowed to ooze charm. Hopefully, Mr. Miller can lighten Jason up just enough so that he can flash his bright and sexy smile from time to time. Or could we even secretly wish that his return will be as Jason Quartermaine?

Until next time, please stay tuned.

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