Deny thy father and refuse thy name

In yet another duel between Adam and Victor, the weapon of choice was Connor, through Chelsea. Will this battle finally strip Gabe's mask off to reveal the son of a father Adam loved to hate and hated to love? Just how far will Neil go to destroy Devon? Has Neil been attending Victor's school of parenting on the sly? As we celebrate the life of a very special lady, please read Two Scoops.

William Shakespeare proclaimed "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" in Romeo and Juliet, but then again, Shakespeare did not know Adam Newman or, as most folks refer to him these days, Gabriel Bingham. Try as he might, a name change will not alter Adam's basic traits and personality or the fact he is the son of Victor Newman. So, Adam, I wouldn't blame you if you did "deny thy father and refuse thy name." After all, a leopard can't change his spots, and neither ferocious beast would be willing to give an inch anyway.

It seems the more Adam tries to run away from Victor, the more he gets drawn right back into the Newman spider web. I mean, wasn't it Adam's idea to start a new life in Paris with the wife and son he claims to love so dearly? But it took so little to persuade him to run right back to enemy territory to face off once again with dear old dad. If Chelsea wouldn't let Victor control her through seizing her once-beloved company, why did Adam care? Maybe because Adam was using any excuse he could find to continue to battle with his father. Adam's main goal in life appears to be defeating Victor, and only then will he be happy. But will he really?

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy," so wouldn't it have been better if Adam had kept the name his loving mother had bestowed on him to distance her son from his manipulative dad? Adam Wilson. Adam understandably wanted to get to know the father he had never known. But still, he didn't have to change his name, especially once he learned what Victor was all about. No matter what he claims, deep down, Adam wanted then and still wants now to be a part of the Newman world, conniving, scheming baggage and all. The battles with Victor are what keep Adam going. Sure, he loves Chelsea and Connor, but those feuds are the fuel of Adam's very existence.

It's rather ironic that Adam has been given a second chance to "refuse" his name of Newman, but you know that won't last long. The funny thing is that he's not refusing his name to distance himself from his daddy but only to keep himself out of prison. No matter what he says to Chelsea and Jack, he would never deny Victor as his father. He has a love/hate relationship with Victor, and I would say the feeling is mutual. Victor has stated he misses Adam, and I believe him. Adam is too much like a chip off the old block, and Victor always admired that about his former long-lost son. I am actually surprised Victor has not figured out that Gabriel Bingham is really Adam Newman.

Chelsea is going to have a rude awakening if she thinks Adam will ever change. I know I just said leopards never change their spots, but that's not always true. Sometimes a person can mature or can move on from something harmful and addictive. Too bad that's not either Adam or Nikki, since both appear to need a dose of Victor each day in order to survive. Adam seems to have chosen the negative influence of his father over the positive force of the ones who really love him -- Chelsea and Connor. "Gabe" tried to move to Paris to escape, but Victor's tentacles sucked him back in. As much as Adam thinks he wants to change, he feels he never really can.

But you can change and grow, Adam! After all, the rock group the Jefferson Airplane eventually evolved into a pop band, the Jefferson Starship, who ended up being more commercially successful on the music charts. (Even if the hit song, "We Built This City," is considered by some to be the biggest joke of a song in history. Come on, it's not that bad.) "Don't You Want Somebody to Love?" Adam sure does, but his choice of Victor may prove to be his downfall with the family he claims he has always desired to have.

So, after racing back to Victor's side on the pretense of trying to protect Chelsea's company, once he saw Victor was going to win again, Adam decided he and Chelsea should immediately return to Paris. But, of course, Victor was way ahead of them again and had a visitation order served to Chelsea with the stipulation that she couldn't leave town with Connor. Adam, you fool! Didn't you realize once you returned to Victor's territory with your family in tow, Victor would never release his grip on them? And as Gabriel, there was not too much Adam could do about it.

Chelsea realized this, also, and she could see Victor's ploy for what it was. Victor desired to gain control over Connor, and Chelsea quickly tried to cut those apron strings by attempting to flee the country with her child. Adam's determination for Chelsea to have it all could end up keeping those strings forever tied -- right where Adam subconsciously wanted to be. If "Gabriel" tried to go with Chelsea, an arrest for defying Victor's court order would result in his being fingerprinted, and his identity would then be known to all, which wouldn't be a bad thing for us.

Ironically, Victor has been battling Adam all along, and he never even knew it. Somehow, I think Victor would appreciate that. But it's time he found out. More can develop from the big reveal than just having this storyline continue to drag on. We are all waiting on pins and needles for Victor to learn the truth of Gabe's identity. We need Adam to really be Adam again, even if it means he has to face the consequences of his past actions. Will the Paragon Project be the catalyst that blows everything out in the open? And an even bigger question: does Adam have any clue he is dealing with Ian Ward? I have a feeling he will end up regretting this fiendish partnership.

In the meantime, Nick has been blinding himself to Victor's shenanigans about Connor, which could very possibly be a glimpse into Nick and his family's future. Or maybe Nick just doesn't have the strength to fight his dad anymore. After all, he did go back to Newman Enterprises with his tail between his legs. So much for standing on his own two feet. Actually, once Victor trounces Adam and Chelsea, Nick and Sage will be child's play for him. Neither one of them seem to have much of a backbone. Sage did realize she may be the next on Victor's target after she produces the next Newman heir. Hey, then she might finally become interesting.

Nick declared to Sage if his dad dared to interfere in their lives, Nick would be out of the family business. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Like Victor would even care. How many times has Nick left Newman Enterprises now? And he always returns. So, why would Victor be threatened by a little thing like that? It's an empty threat, Nick dear. Think about it. If Sage were to lose her baby, Victor would no longer be a threat to them. However, I doubt if Sage will miscarry, since Sharon already has. It would be like too much and too many in such a short time. But it does explain why the writers would have Sharon lose her child but not Sage. Victor would have no interest in Sharon's baby. And Victor seems to be at the center of almost every storyline these days.

Another son who really needs to deny his father -- quickly! -- is Devon. I have to admit that Neil's act as a loving, forgiving, caring dad has been very convincing. It was almost as if Neil had secretly taken the parental lesson from Victor that words speak louder than actions. Truly, Neil's done such a marvelous job of acting. I'm surprised Nikki was still suspicious of him. I guess his words of revenge were still too hard for her to forget.

It's pretty clear that unconditional love for your child is not an issue with Neil. I wonder if he would continue to harbor his resentment if it had been Lily who had betrayed him. Probably not. Actually, Neil was pretty funny with the way he was going all over town, from Michael to Victor, begging and pleading for them to find a way to stop his son from being extradited back to the Virgin Islands. Who knew Neil Winters was so good at comedy?!

However, since Nikki feared Neil was not exactly being sincere about trying to find Hilary, she questioned Victor, who didn't trust Neil as far as he could throw him. It was not so long ago when Neil jumped at Victor's every whim. Geesh, Neil was the one who had secured Jack's forged signature on the contract for the merger on Victor's behalf. My, how things have changed. Once Victor learned Neil had not been in Canada during the time of Hilary's disappearance, as Neil had claimed, the conniving Mr. Newman promised to keep his silence as long as Neil stayed far, far away from Nikki. Like on a distant planet kind of far away.

Fortunately, Neil was able to use Nikki's suspicions against her to push her away. Nikki was smart enough to guess Victor was behind Neil's rejection, and she ran far, far away from Victor. That sure backfired. I was rather surprised when her mad dash didn't take her back to the comfort of another vodka bottle. Nikki seems to flip-flop between one crutch named Victor and her faithful addiction, booze. A healthier Nikki would be the woman who can turn her back on both. Neil was helping Nikki and himself to turn their lives around onto a more positive path, but his revenge totally derailed their journey. It's also possible Neil ended his friendship with Nikki because he feared she would be sharp enough to catch on to what he was doing. Nikki was already onto him, and he needed to distance himself from her, so Neil and Victor were totally on the same page in that way.

I always have to laugh whenever Victor goes on a rampage and declares that someone else is unfit for one of the members of his precious family. So, because Neil had been drinking buddies with Nikki in the past, Mr. Winters suddenly became a bad influence even though he has remained sober. Dear Vic's reason, though, was the drinking thing, not that Neil may have harmed Hilary in some manner. Actually, that didn't seem to faze Victor at all. He probably looked at Hilary as nothing more than a pesky little gnat he kept trying to swat away from his face. Good riddance to bad rubbish, after all.

Shoot, Neil is becoming more and more like Victor all the time. Only Victor did his dastardly deeds all in the name of family while Neil was doing everything he could to destroy what was left of his. Neither one seems to have a conscience, and that's what makes them both so scary. It's hard to fight what you can't see coming. Neil picked a bad time to choose Victor as his role model. How will his grandkids react when they learn Neil kidnapped and held an unconscious Hilary in the boathouse? It was a relief, however, to hear she had fallen off the cliff rather than that Neil had pushed her. Still, instead of getting the medical attention Hilary obviously needed, Neil kept her whereabouts a secret. Neil has definitely leaped way over the line, and I don't know if he will be able to cross back.

Paul said it best when he told Nikki he refused to use his power and authority to further his own personal agenda -- unlike Victor. Wasn't that the truth?! It's my guess Victor was behind the judge's decision to block the extradition, which resulted in Devon's release from jail. Money talks, Devon walks, and Mr. Victor Newman holds the purse strings. Five hundred thousand of those bucks also flew Marisa's way as a bribe for her to leave town and Victor's grandson, Noah. Marisa claimed she never accepted the offer, but that's not what Victor said.

Oh, yes, Victor did not waste any time trying to pry Marisa's clutches out of his grandson's heart. He planted the seed of doubt when he pointed out Marisa had never refused his offer, had never shown any outrage over it, and had never professed her love for Noah. However, Noah's uncertainty lasted about half a second -- up until Marisa batted her eyes at him and planted her lips on his. Then he was back to love will conquer all. I still think it's way too soon for the two to live together though. Noah still needs time to heal from Courtney's death. What's the rush? (Victor!)

You have to feel for Mariah. She's not the most trusting person, anyway, and now Sharon has saddled her with the big secret of her miscarriage. Even though Sharon insisted she wasn't telling Dylan due to his pain over the loss of other children, it's obvious she was afraid he would dump her once he knew she was no longer with child. But Sharon has a bigger chance of losing him due to this secret. Dylan has been lied to enough in the past. (Chelsea!) Sharon's plot to instantly become pregnant again probably won't work, and even if it does, Dylan can count. Sharon must have been several months along when she miscarried. Or maybe Sharon figured after the Chelsea debacle, Dylan wasn't that great in math. Oops, I think we found Dylan's kryptonite.

What was really funny was that Dylan thought he could get some insight from Nick on Sharon, but how can that be possible when both Dylan and Nick look at Sharon in the same way when they are in love with her? They feel she is a person to be protected at all costs, which is right up Dylan's alley. Shoot, Nick apparently still felt that way, since he could still only see that she had become vulnerable after both her dad and Cassie's father had deserted her. Nick still loves Sharon in his own way, but his love has always blinded him to her, which left him unable to give her the kind of help she really needed when they were together. Now the exact same thing will happen with Dylan.

When Dylan insisted Sharon could never disappoint him, I thought to myself, "That's the same kind of thing Nick used to tell her." For not being raised together, the brothers are proving to be way too much alike. And the end result will be disastrous. Dylan kept talking to her about honesty, and Sharon never once blinked an eye. I think Sharon's still on her meds, though, so her disorder is not causing her delusions. And she is delusional for not facing the fact that she may not be able to become pregnant again right away. She is taking such a chance by not being honest.

At least Mariah has Kevin on her side, and they even decided to take their relationship all the way to second base. Gasp! Kevin has always been one of my favorite characters, and I loved it when he acknowledged that they had completely missed all of the fun steps such as dating. However, Kevin's idea of a first dream date with Mariah was to attend the Katherine Chancellor remembrance thingy (as Mariah referred to it). Now, that's romantic!

Who knows why it took Ashley so long to accept the Jabot CEO position, but her negotiations -- or should I say, hesitation -- worked out for her, didn't it? When she didn't jump right in and accept the co-CEO job, Jack immediately offered to make her the CEO. Wow, that almost never happens in business negotiations. Jack was right when he said Ashley could go toe-to-toe with Victor in business but I am sure Ashley being his sister and an Abbot also had something to do with it. However, Ashley was being unrealistic if she thought she could prove to Victor that Jabot didn't exist solely to compete with Newman Enterprises. Victor will always see Jabot as a little bug to be squashed at his discretion.

At least Ashley discovered Jack was not involved in any way with the Paragon Project. Victor had a point when he suspected to Jack that the person behind the scheme wanted both of their companies to go down in flames, so they decided to work together to bring the culprit down. Just how much has Colin been involved in the project, and has Ian Ward been pulling his strings all along? Jill returned from celebrating Katherine's life in Hong Kong to attend the gala held in the grand dame's memory in Genoa City. I hope Jill has an extended visit this time back. She is one person who doesn't back down and cower from Victor, and we need her around and back at Chancellor Industries.

Even after death, Katherine Chancellor found a way to bring her own special brand of love and humor to her memorial celebration. Her words, "Oh, dear God in heaven," opened the ceremony as her loved ones remembered Katherine in the spirit that she lived. In her message, she noted that she was no longer around to smack some sense into some of them, and I immediately thought of Victor and Neil. They could really use that right now, but I doubt it would do any good.

At least Neil decided not to be a hypocrite, and he refused to talk at the event, which made it that much sadder to hear Devon talk of how Katherine had been the one to teach him how to win back trust. A huge bolt of lightning disrupted the service, and Victoria noticed Newman Tower was the only building with power. Was Katherine there with a message or a warning? Sorry, Esther, the power failure was caused by none other than Adam and his tech guru. The lightning was a symbol of bad things to come, however, since Ian Ward was back in town.

I laughed when Billy told Chelsea it was her choice to keep her company and her kid out of "Snidely's clutches." Hey, I remember Snidely Whiplash from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon. Victor's almost a spitting image of the diabolical villain. And Billy could use the cavalry's help with Victoria against the scoundrel right about now.

Wow, thanks, fan Kathie G. I hadn't realized Marisa's accent was gone until you pointed it out. It's just another one of those strange mysteries the GCPD will never be able to solve.

If Abby really believed she was not one of Victor's brainwashed minions, she may already be the Abby zombie she claimed not to be.

Victoria does appear more and more to be Victor's clone, minus the mustache, as Adam observed to Chelsea.

I loved the old clips with Katherine and especially her digs at her "old" nemesis, Jill Foster Fenmore Reynolds Chancellor Thurston Brooks Abbott Sterling Abbott Atkinson. Whew, that's a lot of marriages! It was sweet that Katherine wanted Jill to read her message to everyone -- if Jill hadn't already "lost her eyesight, hips, and mobility to her advancing age." Katherine was such a treasure to all, and her presence has been missed. Jeanne Cooper was a class act and a very special woman who will remain in our hearts forever.

Now with the grand announcement that Under the Dome is done once this season wraps up, will we see more of Fen in Genoa City? (Farewell, Hunter. It was nice knowing you.)

With Harding gone and Dylan (so far) refusing the open detective position with the GCPD, a new addition to the force would be welcome at this time. Maybe Michael Easton could arrive in Genoa City as a cop (that is not John McBain)? I just went to his GH event in August, and I mentioned this possibility to him. In this day and age when soaps are on such shaky ground, I am still rather stunned General Hospital would let such a popular and extremely good-looking actor go. Wouldn't it be great if his was the new, gorgeous face in town?

Until next time,Teddi

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