Two divided by love -- of a child

Love was a double-edged sword, as Dylan tried to parry Nick's every lunge in the court battle over visitation. In a brotherly duel to the end, who survived to become the ultimate victor? Or did Victor turn out to be the foil? It's en garde in this week's Two Scoops.

What a tragedy that the love of a child has brought so much heartache to those all around him. It was bad enough when Nick practically snatched the toddler out of the arms of the only parents he had ever known. But then it came down to restraining orders to prevent the loving couple from even visiting the child. It's just ironic that love has caused so much bitterness and anger. There was a kind of a tug of war going on, and you could almost picture Nick pulling on Christian's arm toward his new home while Sharon and Dylan held on with all their might to the babe's small hand. Babies should never be the cause of so much resentment and even hatred.

And then Sharon practically begged Michael to prepare the divorce papers to end her marriage to the man she had been trying to protect all along? It's both crazy and sad at the same time. Sharon claimed that the reason she couldn't disclose Christian's identity when she first learned of it was because she knew how devastated Dylan would be to lose another child, even if the tot had never been his to lose. But still, Dylan did not know Sully was not his son, which seems to be his fate in life. That poor guy just can't catch a break. Even if Dylan's head has accepted that Christian is not his boy, his heart still beats for the little guy. In most cases (with the possible exception of the relationships on Y&R's sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful), you cannot turn love on and off like a faucet. It just doesn't work that way.

Sharon's solution was to divorce Dylan so he would have a better chance at getting visitation with Christian, and she didn't even ask her husband about it first. You would think Sharon would see by now that many of her problems have been caused by doing things behind her beloved's back. Sharon should be very aware that she has made some pretty horrible decisions in the past and should crave the advice from someone a little more level-headed...like, for instance, her husband. Even if Michael can zip those divorce papers out in lickety-split time, Dylan still has to sign them to make the divorce final. Plus, a divorce won't guarantee that Dylan will get visitation rights with Christian, so the two of them could just end up being alone.

Yes, the Grass Roots sang it best. "Two divided by love can only leave one. And one is a lonely number." So, as many of Sharon's plans do, her whole scheme to keep the boy in Dylan's life could backfire and leave them as two singles, missing the child they had raised as their own. They wouldn't even have each other for comfort. Christian would never want the two people who had given him so much love and security to suffer in misery without each other. It's terrible when you really think about it. Sometimes when a child's parents divorce, the kid will ask them if it was because of something he or she did. In this case, Sharon and Dylan would be divorcing because of the child, even if he was too young to know it. However, thankfully, Dylan pooh-poohed Sharon's suggestion and refused to leave her.

Now, where did Sharon come up with this brilliant brainstorm? From Nikki, of course. What?! Since when has Sharon ever listened to a word Nikki has said? Why start now, for heaven's sake? Nikki has made it perfectly clear, throughout the years, that there is no love lost between the two. Nikki's only agenda and concern are for her son, and she would throw Sharon out to the wolves if it meant getting her out of their lives. Shoot, Nikki celebrated when one son finally tossed Sharon to the curb, only to have another one come to her rescue. It does show how much Sharon loves Dylan, though, to actually listen to a woman who has only despised her.

I had to laugh when Nikki referred to Sharon as "Sharon Newman" instead of "Sharon McAvoy" at the Athletic Club. Nikki has probably been wishing, for years, for Sharon to lose the Newman name, and now that she has, Nikki won't acknowledge Sharon's current surname either. Apparently, Nick was right when he saw how much his mother was favoring Dylan. Nikki even went so far as to prefer to call Sharon by her last name when she'd been married to Nick than to accept that Sharon was Dylan's wife. Nikki's been in denial for quite some time then.

Another "couple" that has been affected by the whole Christian/Sully debacle has been Nick and Dylan. Why, they had thought of each other like...well, brothers, until the light shone on Sully's true identity. Even though he knows, deep in his heart, that Dylan loves the little tyke, Nick keeps letting others influence his feelings about Dylan's future role in Christian's life. First, Nick was livid when he learned that Chloe invited Sharon over for an impromptu visit. Then, Nick saw Hilary's fabricated interview, where she had twisted Dylan's words so severely that it left Dylan pretty much saying the opposite what he had actually said. Even though both Chelsea and Nick couldn't believe Dylan would actually say he was going to throw Sharon out like yesterday's garbage, Nick jumped headfirst into Hilary's rubbish and denied Sharon and Dylan any further access to Christian.

Thanks to lawyers Michael and Leslie, love was proving to be a double-edged sword, since Nick figuratively brandished his blade in order to protect Christian from those who loved him. It's weird when you think about it that way. As the two brothers bobbed and weaved to avoid each other's thrusts, with Dylan trying to parry each of Nick's lunges, the only loser I could see in this duel was Christian. A child can never have too much love, and if Nick was truly serious about wanting to do what's best for his son, he would back down and let Dylan and Sharon have visitation. It's visitation, for crying aloud, not custody. But you know Victor would never allow that to happen. Oh, yes, Victor will be the foil. En garde!

And Victor most certainly won again when they were all suddenly summoned back to court and learned that Dylan and Sharon were denied visitation. And this happened without a single peek at the actual court proceedings on-screen. Oh, yes, I had heard the viewers would be seeing a new tone and pace of our beloved soap under the leadership and guidance of new head writer and co-executive producer Sally Sussman, who wants to turn Y&R back into more of a character-driven soap. No loud gasps were heard in a courtroom when the judge announced the decision. The fans got the reveal from the characters themselves, as each tried to grasp what the future held.

While Dylan tried to throw away every item that reminded him of Sully, Sharon refused to erase him completely out of her life. I can't blame Dylan, but if he stays in Genoa City, he will constantly see the baby as he's growing up anyway. No, Sully never existed. However, the boy still did, and it's the love for the child that won't die. Calling the toddler a different name will not eliminate the bond the couple developed with him. That tie will never die, and hopefully, Nick will accept that one day soon also. For Christian's sake.

Victoria was another who learned, yet again, that one is a lonely number, when she tried to move on without a man in her life. After being betrayed and cheated on so many times in the past (yes, you too, Billy!), Victoria was unwilling to accept any of Travis' apologies and didn't want his flowers, a model boat named "Tori," or any other tricks up his sleeve. Victoria made it clear that she would rather be alone than to be with a dirty, rotten, cheating, two-timing polecat like Travis, as she tossed his boat in the trash. Touch!

Talk about trash...that would be Hilary's continuous proclamation that her goal was to only sniff out and tell the truth and only the truth, no matter how dirty or scandalous. Well, she most certainly took a tumble off her high horse, and Devon had every right to fire her -- except we all know how long that will last. Oh, I'd say about as long as it takes for Hilary to bat her eyelashes in a seductive manner and pucker her lips out to Devon. Then all memories of any wrongdoing Hilary had done will suddenly and instantly vanish from his mind. While Devon had good intentions when he first bought GC Buzz, he sure hasn't done much of a follow-up to ensure his goals would be met. Hilary ran the show from the get-go, and nothing would change that, if she could help it.

But how on earth did Devon ever think Mariah could keep Hilary in line? That would be like watching a goldfish playing tag with a shark. Mariah never had a chance, especially since she had absolutely no backup from Devon. Hilary was Mariah's boss, so it wasn't like Mariah could draw a line in the sand and tell her she could only go so far and no farther. Mariah told Devon about Hilary's manipulated and warped version of Dylan's interview before it even aired, and what did Devon do? Nothing, which is what he usually does when it comes to Hilary. Hilary corrupted the interview to get even with Mariah as her watchdog, even though Devon was the one who put it all into play. Maybe it's time for Mariah to swim as fast and as far away as she can. GC Buzz has indeed lost its credibility, and Devon only has himself to blame.

Even though Mariah decided it was time to move on and do on a job search, Devon had the perfect solution. She could be the new face and voice of GC Buzz. Yes, that's right. Hilary was still fired. (Lily's cheers could be heard from miles away.) All of Hilary's smooches couldn't dissuade Devon from searching for a positive and upbeat host who could help him fulfill his vision of the show. And he thought Mariah would be just the ticket. Devon was able to convince Mariah to do a trial run as the host for the launch of Chelsea's new line. I sure hope Mariah succeeds and shoves it in Hilary's face that you can have a successful entertainment show that's not based on destroying people's lives. Wouldn't it be great if Mariah could have the last laugh, especially after what Hilary did to her family?

And our resident troublemaker, Chloe, certainly added to the sad saga of the baby formerly known as Sully when she invited Sharon over with the intention of putting Sharon and Christian together again. Ah, there's the difference between Chloe and Hilary. While Chloe doesn't always think about the consequences of her actions, Hilary just doesn't give a holy ding-dong about them. Chloe felt a little bad about the trouble she had caused, but after all, life goes on, and she carried on with her plans to move in with Kevin. She sure didn't look all that excited to be moving in with the man she supposedly loved. In fact, she even said, at one point, she only wanted a good home for them.

I thought I spotted a glimpse of reality dawning on Kevin, from the expression on his face, that Chloe just wasn't into Kevin, but apparently I was wrong. Or even if I was right, Kevin wanted Chloe in his life, even if her feelings weren't exactly mutual. With Chloe comes difficulty, especially to those she considers closest to her. Just ask Chelsea and Sharon. Actually, ask Kevin too. He should know better than anybody with the past to go on. So, could trouble possibly be lurking within the confines of Chloe's shoebox marked, "party shoes"? You betcha.

Throughout it all, it's nice to see one couple who wasn't suffering from loneliness, even if one of them had another ailment. Cane refused to take time off from work to let his repaired knee heal, and Lily worried that his rush back would unintentionally cause permanent damage. After they argued about Cane getting a cab, Lily stormed out -- but not to run into the arms of another man. (See, Travis, it can be done.) Lily had an excellent point when she told Abby that happily ever after doesn't just happen -- that you have to work at it. And between a physical therapist named Jessie and Cane's handy dandy pain pills, Lily may have her work cut out for her. There may be trouble brewing in paradise once again for this couple.

Lauren proved one could be both lucky in cards and in love, when Michael presented her with a table full of rose petals and playing cards, wishing her a happy anniversary. Too bad Lauren's fortunes weren't going as well, since Fenmore's sales seemed to be sliding down. However, Phyllis hoped to help the numbers take an upturn. Sadly, Phyllis' love life appeared to be going down the toilet when Jack pleaded with her to free him. I truly hope this new regime doesn't keep them apart for too long. They are my favorite soap couple. Oh, yeah, break up Jack and Phyllis, but keep Kevin and Chloe together. There's no justice, I tell you.

The Abbotts gathered together for a family breakfast, which had once been a tradition for them. All the family members with the exception of Billy, that is. Jack still wasn't so willing to forgive Billy, even after Traci begged and pleaded with him. Yes, there is definitely a different tone with the soap, one that is subtler and doesn't just slap you on top of the head. Even the music is a little different. The family, sans Billy, reminisced about the days when John had resided at the head of the table and had made sure to spend breakfast with his family, even when their father was at his busiest. John was definitely the force of the Abbott family and one that we all have missed.

I know everyone rolls their eyes whenever somebody talks about bringing a character back from the dead, but I truly wish this was one time when that could happen. I don't know how they would explain John's vanishing act for so many years, but I am willing to be open-minded. Hey, if I could accept John as a ghost for Jack all these years, I can take an amnesia storyline to explain away John's reason for staying away from his loving family for so long. And just think -- there would be no need for ghost John anymore. The real deal would then be available to give Jack his sound advice, as well as to all the other family members. John could sure dole out some to Billy also. That guy desperately needs it.

Oh, my gosh, just think of the scenes we could have with John and Jill in regard to their not-so-perfect son. Wouldn't that be fun? We could almost picture Billy with Jill on one shoulder, advising him to get whatever his heart's desire, while John could be perched on Billy's other shoulder, cautioning him to be careful of others' feelings and to beware of going down the wrong path. Maybe John could even inspire Billy to try to be a better person and to apply himself so he could be a success in business. Alas, it's all a dream, but isn't that what all the world is made of? No, I guess that would be faith, trust, and a little pixie dust, but that would work too. Thank you, J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. Since Peter could fly, maybe it's time for Billy to soar.

And Billy did fly -- right over to Victoria's house as the Ghost (like father, like son) of Christmas Future in hopes of convincing her to spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together with the kids, but Victoria wouldn't bite. Victoria had already decided that she was done "endlessly searching for a soul mate," and I say good for her. It would be nice to see a woman on a soap who could be happy in her own shoes and be content with her career, at least for a while. And it's about time Victoria pointed out to Victor that he has never once approved of any relationship Victoria was in. Talk about a double-edged sword. Victoria never had a chance in her personal life.

Victor has declared, so many times in the past, that he only wants Victoria to be happy. So, other than work, how's she supposed to be happy, when her father sets out to break up Victoria with whatever man she is with at the time. Victor claimed almost any other man was preferable to Billy, but apparently, Travis was the only other guy in the world who was not worthy of being with a Newman lady. It's a good thing Victoria has sworn off men, since it will give her a break from having her dad trying to destroy her life. No man will ever be good enough for her in her daddy's eyes.

It's funny that Ashley mentioned how she couldn't help but feel for Dylan and Sharon, since she knew what it was like to have a child taken away. That's right. Faith. Adam had tricked Ashley into believing Faith was her daughter, until after six months, the truth came out and Faith was returned to Sharon. So, for Sharon, what goes around comes around. But for Ashley, it's such a shame that the bond with Faith couldn't have lasted to this day. Even if Faith couldn't remember what happened, she still could have felt a special closeness to the woman who had once loved and raised her. It would have been a great continuity that tends to be missing from soaps sometimes.

And speaking of Sharon, I can already see that the writing for her has eased up and has not been quite as slanted against her. Even Paul pointed out how much Sharon must love his son to offer to give him up so that Dylan would have a better chance to get visitation of Christian. Mariah could see how Sharon had only tried to protect her family and that the bad choices Sharon had made were out of love. And Chelsea didn't hesitate to let Sharon keep her job when Sharon showed up for work. I really hope Sharon gets to stay on this path toward healing and moving on. She has been lumped with the most diabolical villains on the show, even when she had the best intentions. Hopefully, Sharon will become a stronger individual and woman as she tries to find her own way in life. She and Mariah have a lot in common that way.

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

It's pretty bad, when the adults were all being emotional and stubborn, that it took Faith to be the voice of reason.

How hard it must have been for Stitch to say and for Dylan and Sharon to hear, "Sorry, man, immediate family only," when they had only wanted to see Christian.

Michael's witty comments to Dylan about his "insanely misguided GC Buzz interview" and to Sharon about her "nonsense solution to the situation" were funny and so very accurate. With his wonderful way with words and his great gift of gab, no wonder Michael's such an astonishing and amazing attorney.

Jack was absolutely right that Ashley is just as much an Abbott as any of the other family members. It's all about love and not blood, and John had loved her dearly. Her siblings look up to their big sister, which is what she is.

With such an eye-popping necklace and a jet to take you to any destination of her choosing, it's no wonder Nikki tends to turn a blind eye to Victor's dirty dealings most times.

I find it interesting that since Billy is an Abbott, he would need an invitation to attend the Abbott family breakfast. Did Jack and Ashley receive one also? Since Billy is the family black sheep, if the Abbotts had a dog, I wonder if he would have changed the locks to his abode too, in a desperate attempt to keep Billy out of the doghouse.

Mariah brought the humor as she described Hilary's butchering of Dylan's interview to Sharon. Mariah said that Hilary went "all Edward Scissorhands on the piece and cut it up into...into bits. She sliced it and diced it and turned it all into one big lie." With her colorful phrasing, the quirky redhead should do just fine as the new and improved hostess of GC Buzz.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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