Seeing double -- and not even drunk

Finally, Jack returned home to rescue his loved ones! Will he get the chance to confront his dastardly double in the park? Can Victor or Adam turn the tables on the clever, wily spitting image of Jack? You won't be doing a double take when you read this week's Two Two Scoops Scoops (just kidding!)

At long last, Jack learned Marco had taken over Jack's life, and Jack rushed home to stop him. I can't wait to see the two of them come face to identical yet evil face. Please, let it happen. We can only hope, when it does, John won't pop up to give fatherly advice to the wrong Jack! Won't Jack's return to Genoa City give Victor some much-deserved double trouble though? And just imagine if Nikki and Neil were to spy Jack and Marco together in the same vicinity! The two would believe they were seeing double and would probably wonder if they had fallen off the wagon. Next, they would be searching for the pink elephants. Why, Nikki and Neil could almost have a complete circus with the elephants and Marco's version of a clown providing a rather twisted sort of sideshow.

Funny how Jack questioned the very thing we have been wondering for months, which was how Phyllis could be fooled by the villainous imposter during all this time. Apparently, in Phyllis' eye, a picture is worth a thousand scheming, conniving, lying words, and Marco has been painting his own very vivid portrait of Jack. Even though Marisa defended Phyllis by pointing out Marco's cleverness, it's still awfully hard to believe Phyllis could have been duped for so long. I mean, come on, nobody is that good. Marco knew more about Jack than he possibly could have. Plus, unknown details about Jack's supposed past suddenly surfaced, and Phyllis didn't blink much of an eye about the accuracy of it all. I guess I just had more faith in Phyllis' savvy and intelligence. She let me down.

Ashley said it best when she stated, "I don't even recognize the man that my brother's become." There was a reason for that, Ashley. How could both Ashley and Phyllis realize Jack was acting so totally out of character yet not even ask why? Even Summer hit close to the truth about "Jack" when she remarked that at least Victor didn't pretend to be something he was not. Marco's Jack hasn't made sense in a long time, and it's about time they finally noticed.

On the other hand, let's look at Victor and his actions. He knew from the get-go he was bringing a dangerous convict into the lives of the family he claimed to cherish so dearly, but that fact never seemed to faze him. It was only when Marco got the better of him that Victor instantly became aware Marco was unpredictable and vicious and could be a threat to his family. I thought Victor was supposed to be cunning and smart. How could he not know his own loved ones could become a target of the wily and deceitful killer? Luckily, Marco had no interest in harming Victor's family, but how long will that last? Will Victor find a way to stop this shrewd scoundrel?

But Phyllis continued to insist Jack was not the man he used to be, and she'd known something was off since she first saw him take a drink. After Billy declared, "My gut tells me that Gabriel Bingham is no Abbott," she even went so far as to remark, "Well, I'm beginning to wonder if we can't say the same thing about Jack." Of course, she only meant he hadn't been acting like an Abbott, and okay, I guess I can see where's she's coming from. After all, the Jack/Marco switch was done without a hitch and was done with barely an eyebrow being twitched. Jack had never noticeably vanished and did not later magically reappear. Why would Phyllis suspect the look-alike was not Jack?

It was possible Jack was suffering from a case of mental illness -- but of course, that's already been done with Sharon. Speaking of Sharon, I had to laugh when Marco said he could take care of Adam's DNA test results so everyone would believe he was an Abbott. Shoot, if he needed help, Marco had to look no farther than the queen of paternity test manipulations, Sharon Newman. But there could be other reasons for Jack's uncharacteristic behavior, some even medical.

However, the surprise events from Jack's past would be another story. Someone close to him should have known about those, which should have been the real red flag for Red. The long-lost son from an affair with a lady "Jack" supposedly missed so much is a little hard to swallow, since no one in his family knew anything about it. If Gabriel's mother had been that special to him, Jack would have told a loved one about her.

But at least Phyllis' concerns got Adam thinking and he even got inventive with a cooking fairy tale starring Phyllis, which Marco also remembered had been unforgettable. Only it had never happened. Gotcha! Sure, Adam knew the man wasn't Jack, but really, what good does it do? Adam can't tell anyone else, anyway, or his own cover would be blown, and Marco used that to his advantage. Seriously, Adam should let the secret of his own identity come out, or it will bite him in the rear later. Chelsea may never forgive him once she learns the truth, and you know eventually she will.

But the dirty dealer doppelgnger claimed he was the secret genie who would grant Adam his three wishes to have revenge, legacy, and love. Marco only asked in return for Adam's help to frame Victor for Jack's murder. Marco had better hope his plan doesn't backfire, or he could become quite dead. On the other hand, if he survives, he may wish he had died once Phyllis discovers what he did to Jack. Apparently, the deadly imposter doesn't know Phyllis well enough, or he would have been fully warned about the wrath of Phyllis. I wish Phyllis had been the first to realize Marco wasn't Jack, but I am glad Adam found out. However, I like to see Adam in the driver's seat, and Marco's been the one taking him for a ride all along. It's still not too late for Adam to turn the tables on him though. If Marco survives.

Marco confirmed what I had suspected for some time. He had surfaced in Genoa City the day of the nightclub collapse to do his first test run as Jack. I knew there had to be two Jacks at the Underground that night. It was the only thing that made any sense. I first believed it when Phyllis earlier observed to Victor that Jack was not the same man Victor had pulled out of the rubble. Jack was acting strangely even before the collapse, especially when he and Kelly made love in the storage area. Marco was the man Kelly had the romp with, which was why Jack had appeared perfectly normal around Phyllis. Victor had brought Marco to Genoa City earlier than believed to see if Marco could fool the people closest to Jack. Only Marco never told Adam that Victor was behind this plot.

I was so relieved to hear Marco and Jack had existed for a while at the same time in Genoa City. After all, Jack had mentioned to Kelly several times on the island that Phyllis was his wife. And yes, indeedy, Jack was the one who had married Phyllis. Thankfully, my faith in Phyllis has been restored, since she felt Jack's wonderful warmth as soon as she was in his arms and the deep connection again once she looked in his eyes. I was crying out, "Tell her, Jack, tell her!" But he made us all wait a little longer. Jack wanted to control the outcome of Marco's game to ensure his loved ones didn't get hurt, so he enlisted Marisa's help to get information from the company formerly known as Jabot.

Was Marisa helping Jack because she cared about him and wanted to help him reunite with his family, or did she only want to get her Marco back? Or, as I stated in a previous column, maybe Marisa was becoming a little enamored of Mr. Abbott herself. After all, he looks just like her Marco, only Jack's got a lot more money. That would be enough to turn any girl's head.

Thank goodness Marco finally explained his transformation into Jack as he described how he had prepared for the role by reading hundreds of articles and watching dozens of videos about the celebrity Mr. Abbott to capture Jack's behavior, mannerisms, and speech patterns. Wasn't it remarkable his voice was exactly the same as Jack's, though? This story reminded me of an episode of The Outer Limits I just saw a couple of weeks ago. It's called "The Thousand Years of the Dragon," and it's about a molecular rearrangement experiment where a man could change and mold the shape of his face to become identical to another.

For the experiment, the man was selected due to his height, weight, and similarity of his physique then he went through years of research and voice training to take over for the man he was chosen to replace. Victor had made it sound like it was a lucky fluke of finding some thug in a Peruvian prison who could talk exactly like the guy he was intended to become and to even know every little detail about that person. Okay. But to know how the man would act in any given occasion by knowing what was in his heart? Oh, no. And this was what had been missing for Phyllis all along. She knew something was ringing false, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Only Jack could know what was in his heart, and that just can't be faked, no matter how much Marco had researched him.

Marco's grand scheme involved using Nikki to taunt Victor to go to the park. And, of course, it worked. With Adam as his trusty sidekick, Marco made sure to kill the park's security cameras to eliminate any evidence of his fake death. But was it fake? Sure enough, Marco goaded Victor into shooting him, but maybe his plan was too successful. We witnessed Marco falling to the ground, but was he still alive as he had planned?

Perhaps Marco's dream of sitting on an island, sipping a rum and cola, went up in gun smoke. I did chuckle at the "cola" part. I guess Coca-Cola isn't one of Y&R's sponsors. The bulletproof vest had to do its job, though, or how will I get to see Marco and Jack meet eyeball to eyeball? Jack was on his way to the park, and if Marco survived, the meeting could still take place. I really want to see some verbal interaction between the two due to all the damage and pain Marco has inflicted on Jack. And just think, they would be speaking with the very same voice! Anyone strolling through the park would have to do a double take. Oh, but a confrontation between the two should be explosive and leave as much carnage as that of the cargo ship.

No matter if you love or hate this story, you've got to admit Peter Bergman shines in it. He sure can bring the wickedness when the situation calls for it. He's good-guy Jack speaking of his eternal love and devotion for Phyllis one minute and vicious Marco yelling like a banshee at Kyle for his slip-up to Summer the next. Mr. Bergman's acting has been remarkable, but that's no surprise, since he is a multiple Daytime Emmy award winner. Could we have already witnessed the submission for his next win from this storyline? Or maybe it's still to come.

So, Phyllis believed her guy had not been acting like her Jack, Lily looked at Cane as if he were some kind of stranger, and Lauren declared Michael was not the man she had married. Man, what's going on with the men of Genoa City? It's almost a case of the pod people. Jack, Cane, and Michael have all been replaced by emotionless replicas. Well, okay, in Jack's case, the replica's name was Marco, but still, it's a little weird.

Actually, now that Michael has gotten what he wanted, which was the divorce, where's he going to go from there? He obviously still loves Lauren, so will his future be filled with longing looks in her direction every time he sees her? Lauren and I both cannot believe Michael has reduced their marriage to one based totally on sex. Michael's vision has been so clouded, he can't see that the foundation of their relationship was so much more than just the physical aspect. Lauren and Michael not only loved each other, they were best friends, and that was the glue that had gotten them through the hard times. Michael has sullied their entire past by suggesting there was nothing more between them than sex. Even after Lauren stressed to Michael that they could find other ways to be close, Michael thrust her aside. It is sad Michael has sapped the strength from this once loving and solid couple.

Seriously, was Lily just searching for an excuse to cheat on Cane? Is that why she was doing her research on him? She sure didn't waste any time listening to any explanations for Lauren's midnight visit to his room. In fact, she dashed into bed with Joe the first chance she got. Cane was right when he said the trust was gone, but he should be looking at her behavior too. Lily knew better than anyone that marriage takes constant work. And she sure didn't hesitate to cheat when the opportunity presented itself. Lily didn't look the least bit regretful when she woke up after the fact and only seemed to regret Joe wasn't around. But where did he go?

Of course, the indication was Joe had gone to torment Avery, which was what she told Paul. Even though she denied it, Avery has almost become the lamb who cried wolf too many times with her constant fears of being watched. The character has almost become a shadow of herself. At one time, Avery was a strong force to be reckoned with, and now she has been reduced to a shaking, petrified shell. Playing victim is not a good look for her.

What's weird -- and I have seen it happen on soaps before -- is now that Avery is on her way out, all of a sudden, characters are unexpectedly becoming her new BFFs. First Sharon and then Lily. The same Lily who had just cheated on her husband with Avery's ex went running to Avery to fill her in about it. Finally, Lily seemed to regret what she had done. It took her long enough. But as Joe's alibi, Lily admitted to Avery that Joe had left for a while. So now Lily has jumped over to Avery's side regarding Joe. That was a fast turnaround considering she had just slept with the guy.

It took cheating to get Lily to realize she wanted her marriage after all. I'm sure Cane would understand. Lily has done a pretty good job of being a hypocrite, but I give her credit for owning up to it. She certainly ended up being the pot calling the kettle black, didn't she? The difference was Cane never had sex with Lauren. Lily's guilt may play a factor in her reuniting with her husband, though, and it should. After everything she accused Cane of doing, the least she could do is to come clean with him. She will never get those pictures of Joe making love to her out of her head until she does.

Avery then thought it would be a good idea to meet Joe in the park alone, even though she had claimed to be totally and completely frightened of him. Baaa! Baaa! Was she the lamb who cried wolf or the wolf in sheep's clothing? Joe stressed his only crime had been in loving her, and that may be true. Well, that and a little domestic violence thrown in. As soon as Joe left, a man grabbed her from behind, and he was dressed in black. Just like Joe. But was it Joe or someone she had represented in the past who had a thirst for revenge? Hey, maybe it was Austin. I'm still not totally convinced he is dead, and he had always resented Avery. Raping her would be the ultimate revenge for the death of his mother.

Yes, Avery confirmed to Paul she had been raped by a man dressed in black with Joe's physique, wearing Joe's cologne. Was Joe being framed? That's seems to be the latest craze in Genoa City. However, Avery never saw the man's face because he had been wearing a ski mask. I can now see the tweaking done to the original storyline for her exit. Avery had first been written to falsely accuse Joe of rape, which would have been totally out of character for her. I agree with that. So the writers changed it to where either Joe raped her or she honestly, sincerely believed he raped her.

The way Joe acted around Paul, I say Joe left her unharmed. His earlier thoughts had not been of a rape in the park but of the domestic violence he had inflicted on Avery in the past. Jessica Collins just completed filming her scenes a week ago so Avery will be around for a little while longer. It would be hard to watch her as a victim, though, since she came onscreen like gangbusters. She was out to defend the innocent, and she would take no prisoners. Hopefully, Avery can fight back for herself, and her character can remain intact before her final departure.

Dylan blamed himself, as expected, since he had broken his connection with her, but I had to smile when Avery begged Dylan not to make her rape all about himself. Apparently, she didn't need or want his superhero cape to shield her. But Mariah was right in that Dylan didn't waste any time leaving Sharon to run to Avery's side. It may take Avery's strength to get Dylan to move on with his new family. Of course, with the new feud brewing between Sharon and Nikki, maybe he won't be so overly eager to do that.

Gee, so Sharon is pregnant at the same time as Sage. Not exactly earth-shattering news. Can we hope Sharon won't have to go through a similar experience with this baby that she had to with Faith? At least Adam shouldn't have a reason to take this baby from Sharon for the first six months of the child's life. Can't Sharon just have a normal pregnancy for a change? I mean, wouldn't it be cute watching Sharon and Sage shop around for infant outfits while anxiously awaiting the arrival of their upcoming little wonders? I don't really see it happening, but two women sharing the joys of their pregnancy, which is oh-so-common in the real world, would be unique in Soapland. Therefore, it will never happen.

Sharon not only glowed in her pregnancy, she shimmied in her glittery pink, silver, and black dress. Thumbs-up to Ashley for her pretty blue earrings. And I loved Marisa's dangly earrings too. A girl can never have too many pairs of earrings. I'm a firm believer of that. (Ask my husband.)

I had to laugh when Marisa said, "I'm beginning to wonder if anyone in this town is who they claim to be." This was probably the funniest -- and definitely the most accurate -- line of the week.

Nikki was almost as delusional as Sharon used to be when she thought she could be the "new and improved supportive" one giving Sharon "a fresh start." Those came close to being the funniest scenes of the week.

Until next time,Teddi

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