Nothing personal; just business as usual

Princess Victoria took it personally when the king of a rival realm tried to steal a deal. Elsewhere Prince Nick puzzled out a conundrum, and billionaire Devon contemplated life after Hilary. Hear ye, hear ye, in this week's Two Scoops.

Victoria didn't buy Jack's explanation that trying to tank Brash & Sassy's deal with the hockey league was "just business" and took an action that proved just how well she had learned the rules of business success from Darth Mustache. When Billy told Victoria that Jack had revealed damaging personal information about Billy in order to steal their deal, Victoria didn't get angry and storm into Jack's office like Billy wanted to do. She got even by making Jack think that she was willing to stoop to his level, even though she wasn't.

Victoria was masterful as she controlled the situation and caught Jack in her trap, making Jack once again Wile E. Coyote to a Newman Roadrunner. Frankly, I admired Victoria and the way she dealt with Jack's backstabbing so calmly, and dare I say, "logically and businesslike!" -- if you ignore that whole stealing the interview clip and the pretend blackmail. "Don't get mad, get even," was Victoria's battle cry, and she did it very well.

I have to admit that Victoria is a heck of a businesswoman, and I admire her talents as CEO of Brash and Sassy. I loved her speech to Jack about business and what he could expect if he continued to use his personal vendetta against Billy as an excuse to attack her company. I like her much better as a strong, savvy player at the business game than as the tearful trusting mate who always believes her lying man -- generally Billy, with a dash of Travis and Ben mixed in. Neither do I think much of her mothering skills. Her toddlers haven't been aging -- Johnny should be at least six -- and they are always with a nanny. Even I know how devastating it can be to a child whose parent leaves to take a phone call instead of staying through that child's performance, as Victoria did to Reed, so she doesn't get high marks there, either.

The Young and the Restless has always excelled at stories involving the workplace, so I do hope that Victoria's story continues to depend heavily on her business acumen and intelligence as she makes a success of Brash & Sassy. Will Victoria be just as good at mothering a teenager? According to my source, Denise, Reed is pretty typical for his age group, so Victoria will eventually be a very proud mother, indeed. Y&R needs some younger characters to survive, so what's better than another generation of Newman spawn with Victoria as its grande dame? I suspect, that if Reed sticks around, Johnny and Katie will be teens in the next five or so years also.

I did say that I wanted to see a Mariah/Devon romance, and it looks like one might develop. I just wish Mariah wasn't the rebound girl. Sometimes the rebound girl sticks, but usually, she's just a placeholder. (PS. It can also be a rebound guy! It's whoever is next after the divorce, death, or loss of a beloved.) I've grown very fond of Mariah, and I want her dreams to come true.

Actually I'm just happy to see Mariah get a story. I do like the way that the actors have been grouped and rearranged. I look forward to Mariah and Hilary bickering and sniping. There are many avenues to explore, not only a relationship between these women but also legitimate stories in their workplace. There's a lot of attention on the media at the moment, so Y&R has a great opportunity to do something that is entertaining, educational, and relevant.

And while I do find the storylines on Y&R repetitive and moving at the speed of a slow tortoise, I think that the dialogue sparkles with witty repartee, and that's enough to keep me watching until sweeps.

Scott Grainger interacted with several of the female characters last week and seemed to have potential with all of them. Age-wise, it seems like he would be closest to Mariah, Hilary, Chelsea, or Chloe -- there's also Abby and Summer -- but it appears that he may be initially paired with Sharon or Phyllis, who seem more like contemporaries of his mother than part of the age-appropriate dating pool where Scott can dip his toe -- though what that is anymore, I'm not sure. I was never a fan of May-December romances when the male was 20-30 years older than the female. Making the female the older party doesn't make the age gap disappear. It still seems like too much difference for anything lasting in most instances.

As Teddi pointed out in her column last week, in the now, an age difference isn't important, but over time it can be. I can accept ten years difference -- that's still the same generation -- but 25-30 years seems like too much, I know, "It's only a soap," and Ravi and Ashley looked very good together at the opera, so maybe good looks and common interests are enough. And I guess, when push comes to shove, who a person loves is their business, so who am I to interfere in anyone's life but my own?

In other odd couple news, Jack and Gloria make an interesting pair. Gloria must be at least 70, but Jack served in Viet Nam, so he is fast approaching her age. I can well understand why they want to keep their relationship under wraps, but I admit to the guilty pleasure of wanting to hear the commotion that will erupt when Ashley and the rest of the Abbotts find out that Jack is sleeping with their evil former stepmother! Ick! Ick! Ick! Ashley is already upset with how Jack is running the company and treating Billy. Learning about Gloria will no doubt push her over the edge. Jack might lose his hold on all those board votes. (Congratulations go to you, Peter Bergman, on your Emmy nomination. I hope you win!)

Someone who won't be winning is Cane, because all that Tokyo drinking with Juliet has put him in a no-win situation. Once he tossed the teddy instead of confessing to Lily, Cane was cooked and won't even manage a tie game. I suspect that once again, Cane will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory -- much like the Atlanta Falcons against Tom Brady and crew in this year's Super Bowl!

Tossing that teddy where Jordan could find it was not smart, but I was unclear if Cane actually had sex with Juliet or if she just slept in his room -- or maybe she was setting him up so that he would help her get that job with Brash & Sassy. Blacking out and forgetting sounds eerily similar to another soap's storyline -- dare I say "copycat?" I do hope people who drink and party take this as a cautionary tale to avoid excess, else they might end up like Cane, who is about to be hoisted on his own petard! Poor Cane, I want to like him, but he goofs things up just when everything is going great.

I think we have a budding new detective in Genoa City. On his first cursory touch of Connor's beloved dinosaur, our boy Nick found what no other person who had handled that stuffed animal for the past six months had noticed: a huge freaking tracking device. Even Chloe, who put it there, didn't notice it or think to remove it, just in case someone, like Nick, found it and started asking questions.

Nick may be slow on the uptake, but there is no doubt that once he gets the scent, he is dogged. And, Nick has the scent. Further demonstrating the downfall of consuming too much drink, Chloe said way too much and gave away too many clues while she was under the influence, and it shouldn't take long for either Nick or Scott, the investigative reporter to whom she spilled the beans, to figure out what she did to Adam in that cabin in the woods. I suspect, unfortunately, that the story will drag through the rest of this month and all of April so that we can be thrilled during May sweeps when all the clues finally come together and Nick sees the light -- unless we're all so bored by then that we need a nap.

Elizabeth Hendrickson is leaving Y&R, so I'm sure that Chloe's storyline will begin wrapping up soon. Despite being engaged and happy, it appears that Kevin will be heartbroken yet again. I hope he finally learns what a dupe he's been and takes up with a woman who really cares about him instead of what she can get from him. Maybe Mariah and Kevin will eventually find their way back to each other -- if things don't work out for Mariah and Devon. For sure, things aren't working out for Kevin and Chloe.

The only question is whether or not Chloe will ride off into the sunset with Bella, and no one in Genoa City will ever be the wiser as to Bella's paternity, an issue that could be out there for as long as there are episodes of Y&R. My vote is, "Don't keep us in suspense; tell Billy!" (Or whoever the real father is. I'm still voting for Kevin, but I seem to remember a paternity test -- but I also remember those being faked, so there's still a chance, but I digress!!!)

As I mentioned in the beginning, I enjoy the corporate intrigue and backstabbing, but it's not the same without Victor in the mix, so I hope his alter ego, Eric Braeden, has a successful book tour and is back as Darth Victor very soon. Nobody does corporate backstabbing like Victor, except maybe, Jill -- Jess Walton also got nominated for an Emmy and, like Bergman, had some terrifically powerful scenes. I'm rooting for you too, Jess Walton. Anyway, I want Jill to have her vacation, come home healed, and jump back in the business fray, with Victor, Jack, Lauren, Victoria, and all the rest.

Oops! My bad! I just read the whole list of Emmy nominees, and I see that Kristoff St. John was also nominated for Best Actor along with Peter Bergman! Now I'm torn because both actors had some very moving moments. Gina Tognoni was nominated in the same category as Jess Walton, and she has also been terrific. So I am rooting for all four of you to win and for all the other Y&R actors who have been nominated. For a complete list, click here.

Join me in two weeks for the next Soap-aholics meeting. Chloe Mitchell will show off her engagement ring and preview her new hit song, "How I killed my best friend's husband and almost escaped Scott-free." As always, we welcome imaginary friends.

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts. You can leave your comments below in the comments section, you can click here to submit Feedback, or you can call our 24/7 caller feedback hotline at 267.341.7627 and voice your thoughts.