Going, going, gone... smashed into smithereens

After Hilary was going, going after Mariah on live TV, had she gone too far and unintentionally caused the smashing of Devon's trust -- and of her spanking new yellow sports car? The highest bidder doesn't always win in this week's Two Scoops.

I love auctions! There's almost nothing better than the thrill of securing a special, spectacular item others are seeking that you alone won through a bid, as you excitedly anticipate hearing the words, "going, going, gone." And the pleasure is double if you can get the item at a steal. However, a bidder tends to be a little embarrassed if one realizes afterwards that he or she has overpaid for the coveted piece. That reminds me of when my husband, a McCoy pottery collector, ended up paying double for a McCoy rooster because he was bidding against a rooster collector. And it wasn't like he didn't know the value of the rooster, because he had a McCoy pottery book to aid him with the prices. My husband just got carried away while he was bidding. But did Devon?

While I can't say the same thing about Devon, when he bid on the flashy yellow superfast sports car for Hilary (I mean, after all, the chump change in Devon's wallet could pay my mortgage for a year), Hilary most certainly paid too heavy of a price by needing to have control of every situation all the time. Because Hilary never gives a single thought about anyone else's feelings, she pressed her luck way too far, as Neil pointed out, by lying again to Devon. She honestly believed she could smooch away any and all of Devon's mistrust and fears about her nasty behavior and the cover-up of her cruelty. Hilary took for granted that she had a terrific guy who had always jumped through hoops for her and who was totally at her beck and call at every single minute. There was never any need for Hilary to play her game and then lie about it to Devon. She had him wrapped around her expensively adorned little finger.

Hilary must need to have some kind of challenge to keep her from getting bored, however, which is why she always targets Mariah at GC Buzz. A girl's gotta have some fun, and Hilary made sure to get her thrills in spades by constantly belittling the redheaded ex-con at work. As Kevin pointed out, though, Hilary picked on the wrong person, and Mariah sunk down to her level to get even. Was Mariah wrong to get revenge on Hilary by the use of a teleprompter and some cleverly written words? Sure. But did Hilary have it coming? Absolutely.

What shocked me, though, was that Hilary actually admitted to Devon that she had done the dirty deed of tripping Mariah with a cord on live TV. Really, the lady has no shame, and she seemed almost proud that she had embarrassed her fellow employee. Once Devon found out what she had done to Mariah, Hilary still refused to accept the potential consequences of her actions, but then again, why should she? I mean, Devon's always forgiven her for any outrageousness in the past. But Hilary was very aware that Devon would never approve of such a rotten tactic, or she would have told him of her awful action. Even after Devon stormed off and Neil later confronted her, Hilary blamed Mariah, Neil, Devon, the camera man, the janitor, the man in the moon...everyone but herself for Mariah's act of vengeance. Just when you think Hilary can't be any more selfish, she goes to new lengths to prove she is the most self-centered woman in the land.

And since they had just vowed to begin the new year with no more lies or secrets, Hilary did go too far and too fast, and so did Devon...in the seat of the super speedy sports car. Of course, I knew from the second Devon won the sporty vehicle for Hilary in the Abbott-Winters Foundation auction that disaster would be zooming the couple's way. And it sure did when Devon's trust in Hilary and the yellow sports car were both smashed into smithereens.

So, Devon's car and his heart both lay in pieces, while his loved ones worried over his bodily fate. Sadly, Hilary and Lily still couldn't help but take pot shots at each other. Sorrow couldn't even slow Hilary down in her rants and raves about how everyone under the sun was to blame for Devon's accident, especially Mariah. It was truly a sad sight to witness -- until Hilary admitted to an unconscious Devon that she realized she was at fault. Hilary pleaded with Devon to open the eyes on his bruised and battered face, since the last time she had seen his beautiful peepers, they had been filled with hate toward her. Oh my gosh, I was stunned. Hilary actually felt remorse for something she had done. Let's write this date down on our calendars. It's probably the last time Hilary will ever accept responsibility for the consequences of her actions.

But one has to wonder why Hilary could admit to herself she had done wrong but not to others. It's almost like she would rather be hated than to appear as being weak. In her mind, Hilary thinks if she acknowledged she was wrong, she would show others she was frail. While she is no delicate flower, Hilary seems to want others to believe she is always strong all the time. Or is she just incapable of admitting anything less than being perfect to those around her? Well, if Hilary's goal has been to show she is less than human, she has certainly accomplished that.

However, Hilary's feelings for Devon may be a genuine risk to the tough bravado she has always shown the rest of the world. Even if she knows that under the shell, there lurks an ooey, gooey yolk of her being surrounded by the whites of her tears, allowing others to see this side of her would scramble her entire existence. There's never been a sunny side up for this lady. Even if her sadness is over easy, once Devon recovers, will the memory of her fragility linger on? I doubt it.

Stitch had a couple of funny lines at the hospital, even if it was unintentional. After Hilary refused to leave Devon's side, Ben noted that she was "a very stubborn woman." Boy, was that an understatement! Because she has a tendency to never back down, Hilary can often be her own worst enemy, and as a result, she ends up losing the very things she craves so dearly. She may think she's all about the money, but I suspect she really desires her one true love. Hilary's just had a small problem with pinning down exactly who that is. Also, Stitch gave a doctor's order for Hilary to get some rest, because she looked like "a wreck." Yeah, just like her poor,yellow sports car. Well, they were both fast, and now they are both just severely damaged.

Fortunately, Devon survived, but in true soap fashion, he completely forgot about attending the benefit and about everything that happened there. As far as he could remember, he had no memory of a flashy sports car or of the big reveal that Hilary had caused Mariah to trip and fall on live TV. How convenient for Hilary. In his blurred vision through his poor, puffy eyes, Hilary was still the loving wife he had believed her to be. The hatred was gone, and the adoration had returned. It was rather sickening. And Hilary was all too willing to play along with the lie. And as long as Devon's health was at risk, her charade could continue.

To be sure she would remain a factor in his life, Hilary became as attentive to Devon in the hospital as a worn and untidy Florence Nightingale. For heaven's sake, he is bound to find out what happened on New Year's Eve, even if Hilary bit her tongue about it forever. After all, there were enough witnesses to Hilary's embarrassment and humiliation at the benefit. Hilary would have to bribe or blackmail everyone in town to keep silent. Yes, Devon will learn the truth about what Hilary did to Mariah eventually -- especially if Lily has anything to say about it. And believe me, she does.

As much as Mariah was right that Hilary did trash TV by getting down and rolling around in the dirt, Sharon was correct that her daughter had come off looking like "a senseless idiot" who could have lost her job and a friend in the process. Sharon advised Mariah to stop, think, and then decide before she attempted such a foolish thing again. Honestly, as much as I like seeing Sharon in full-out motherly mode again, only trying to help and protect her wayward daughter, I would have been more impressed if Sharon had also been a little more concerned, and if she had acknowledged that Mariah could have been seriously injured by Hilary's stunt. Hilary would never think about or even care about the consequences of any of her antics. But Sharon should have been a little more upset with Hilary about the worst that could have happened to her beloved daughter and been relieved that it hadn't.

However, to give Sharon some credit, she also was dealing with a younger daughter who had deserted her by moving in with Victor and Nikki in Sharon's time of need. She was also concerned about a husband who went undercover to catch the bad guy, so he could forget that his heart had been smashed into pieces over losing the son he had loved so dearly. Dylan had to leave town -- as if there weren't enough bad guys in Genoa City. But without the cartoonish Ian around, maybe Dylan was ready for a change of pace. Or maybe even a change of face. Okay, okay, we all know that Steve Burton decided not to renew his contract at the end of the year, so it seems very likely that when Dylan eventually returns -- and I believe he will -- he could possibly be sporting some new looks and a different physique. Or could Mr. Burton appear as Dylan again down the road? Time will tell.

If another actor were to take Steve Burton's place, who would make a good Dylan McAvoy? The first place to look would be, of course, General Hospital, since Y&R and GH have a tendency to exchange their fan favorites with each other. Okay, we could count out Billy Miller, because that would just be too weird. Can you imagine Billy Miller as Dylan McAvoy in scenes with Jason Thompson's Billy Abbott? Would they be Dylan McAvoy and Billy Abbott -- or would they be Billy Abbott and GH's Patrick Drake? That would be so confusing. Then we could eliminate the guys too young to be considered as Dylan such as Chad Duell and Bryan Craig. (Although wouldn't the latter be a great catch, now that he's no longer on GH?) And using age as a consideration, Roger Howarth and Michael Easton are just too darned popular with the GH fans, so they are out. Therefore, my vote would be for Jax's Ingo Rademacher. If only we could convince him to leave Hawaii.

Hopefully, Dylan won't be gone for too long, or Sharon will be almost completely alone, except for Mariah's brief appearances at home. But I am hearing rumblings that Sharon may not be alone for too long. However, since I try to steer away from spoilers, I won't say too much more, except that I would be fine with what's in store. Meanwhile, Noah pointed out to Faith that even if she was living with her grandparents, it was only a temporary solution, since her parents loved her also. To me, this is just crazy. At her age, why is Faith allowed to make all the decisions about her living situation, especially since she lives close enough that she can visit her grandparents at any time? It just doesn't make any sense.

Faith is at that tender age where a girl needs her mother around. While Sharon hasn't always been the most sensible person, she has been a loving mother who has only wanted her daughter to be "safe and happy." I could see stripping Faith away from a bad situation, except that Nick and Sharon have never been shown to be abusive. This is not a case of neglect either. It's more of a case of letting the kid call all the shots, no matter what's best for her. Her parents should be deciding where she lives, not Faith or her grandparents. Sharon and Nick should go to court and have their custody legally documented, so Faith won't keep jumping from home to home to home. Kids her age need security, stability and a loving control, and either one of her parents can provide that.

In the meantime, Paul and Nikki fretted over their son's possibly dangerous mission, while Paul regretted not being able to say goodbye to Dylan. Even if it is an exit for Steve Burton, it does seem rather weird that Paul would think Dylan was the best man for the job, knowing his state of mind concerning Christian. Yes, I know that Dylan volunteered and was hoping his mission would be a distraction from the pain in his heart, but who's to say he wasn't a little suicidal too? I mean, the guy's destiny seems to be childless, if the past is any indication. However, he's still fairly young, and times can change, maybe even sooner than he thinks.

I don't blame Sharon for being somewhat annoyed that everyone is suddenly concerned about her marriage. Dylan's a cop, and he's on assignment. Why does all of Genoa City think they are getting divorced? Sharon's certainly done worse, and no one cared then if their marriage would survive it or not. It just seems a bit bizarre. Sharon and Chloe had more to worry about, though, since Gloria exclaimed she wanted her job back with Chelsea.

Yes, Hurricane Gloria had blown back into town, and Chloe was less than enthusiastic about working with her. The feeling appeared to be mutual, since Glo decided, afterward, that a change of scenery would be nice. I don't know. It might have been fun to watch these two very independent ladies go after each other, although I'm not sure any work would ever get done. Those two firecrackers could cause an explosion to be heard and felt for miles around. One thing's for sure -- Kevin would be unable to escape the blast. So, Gloria set her sights on Fenmore's, while Lauren tried to duck and dodge away from the range of her scope. Since Jeffrey had flown through their money, Gloria was broke and desperate for a job, even as Lauren's gatekeeper to fend off unwanted callers.

Chelsea was fortunate that Gloria had decided to venture out in new horizons, since she and Nick were still trying to convince themselves that nothing more than friendship existed between them. Good luck with that. Actually, if Adam won't be returning anytime soon, I think a Nick and Chelsea pairing would be great. Plus, it would be a perfect set-up for a dramatic story, if Adam were to return. Brother versus brother for the love of the fair maiden's heart. I am sure that's never been done on a soap before. But, even so, it would be fun pitting Nick against Adam for Chelsea's love. I only hope Nick and Phyllis remain as friends. I am not ready for a round two of that couple, even with a different actress as Phyllis.

Jack may declare himself "the man," but that honor will still go to Victor until Jack can finally take him down. But since Victor won their last skirmish over Brash & Sassy's lease with Jabot, Jack has to wait his turn until he can actually prove he is "at the top of his game." Even in love, Jack is behind the eight ball right now, but those sneak peeks from Jack and Phyllis at each other, while pretending the other wasn't in the room, encouraged me to hope that it's not quite over for them. Ironically, Phyllis' best strategy to get Jack back may have been to quit Jabot. While Phyllis is regaining her dignity and finding a new purpose, maybe she can recover the trust of her beloved. Then, Jack could officially and honestly proclaim himself as "the man."

And it was actually comforting for me to hear that Lauren joining forces with Phyllis did not deter Jack from wanting to merge with Fenmore's. It's just a shame that he's being deceitful about what kind of partnership he actually wants with Lauren. However, because Gloria knows all about what's going on with Lauren's family business, both Jack and Lauren don't stand a chance of getting what they want, especially since Gloria only kept her lips zipped long enough to reach her phone. Whomever Gloria decides to join forces with will, most likely, be the loser in the end.

My heart was ripped a little by Reed's recast, since I have always been a fan of Max Page, but I knew it was inevitable. Even Victor was surprised at how much Reed had aged. I believe Reed was the last Y&R youngster to be SORASed in the previous crop of kids. (But how long will it take for Johnny and Katie, who seem to be almost the same age as each other now, to suddenly become about Reed's age? If Reed's fifteen, there's around a ten year gap between Reed and Johnny now, but Billy could almost bet that gap will narrow as time goes on.) I have to say Victoria sure didn't seem to act much like Reed's mother, but I guess she would feel a little strange around him, since she barely ever saw him. However, I had forgotten how close Reed was to Billy. Why do I have a funny feeling that Victoria and Billy are on a road named Reed back to each other? Or will Reed be more of a roadblock?

Victoria noticed that Billy could relate better to her teenage son, but that's not necessarily a bad thing -- unless, of course, she really doesn't want Billy in her life anymore. If J.T. really said that Reed was Victoria's problem until the summer, the young man is probably ready to have someone he has always thought of as a father figure around. Hey, maybe that's the problem -- maybe Reed has been comparing his own dad to Billy, with J.T. always falling a bit short. It was easy being the fun father when Billy only saw Reed once in a while during holidays or the summer. And actually, since Billy acts rather immature at times, he would probably have quite a bit in common with Reed. Victoria should not despair because, after all, someone still needs to be the adult out of the three.

Good heavens, if Victoria wants to live on her own, she should learn everything about fuses she needs to know. But with Billy always available at the touch of her fingers on her cell phone, she seems to have it all covered. If she really wanted Billy vanished from her life, you would think she would make the effort to educate herself on everything about keeping her house running. It appears her almost kiss with Billy on New Year's Eve was more significant than she's willing to admit.

Mariah's colorful descriptions of Hilary as a vicious jerk and as a zombie with brains sure painted a truthful picture of the vixen.

When he heard Faith was at Sharon's home, Victor remarked to Nikki that his granddaughter should spend time with her mother. What?! Did I hear correctly? This kinder, gentler Victor is taking some getting used to.

Mariah set the right tone and did an excellent job announcing the news of Devon's accident in GC Buzz's live telecast. Although she may not want to believe it, the feisty redhead could possibly have a career in newscasting.

Phyllis had the line of the week when she warned Nick to be vigilant and alert "because loneliness can creep up on you and club you over the head, and you won't see it coming." Ain't that the truth?

Hilary told Devon GC Buzz was showing reruns during his recovery, but have they filmed enough episodes already to have an endless number of reruns? It seems like they would have to resort to showing clips from the last mud-slinging GC Buzz -- but wouldn't that go against Devon's vision? That alone should cause him some stress.

Ravi may want to check Jabot's rules about fraternizing with company personnel before he continues his pursuit of his beautiful, amazing, generous, and wonderful boss, Ashley. And he might want to review the sexual harassment policy, also, just to be on the safe side.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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