All tangled up

Ashley looked for answers about Dina. Nick and Chelsea unraveled the tangle that surrounded Chloe's disappearance, but is Chloe really dead? Hilary happened on a tangled tale about Cane's Tokyo tryst and is determined to devastate Lily with it. Hear ye, hear ye in this week's Two Scoops.

Ashley is no slacker when it comes to ferreting out secrets, and she has proven that many times in the past -- just ask Billy and Jack! And now that she has set her sights on finding out what exactly caused Dina and Grant to exchange loud words, I have no doubt that she will dig until she knows everything about Dina's agenda. Grant certainly appears to be some kind of caregiver -- either that or Dina is a hostage, for, as yet, unexplained reason. My first instinct is that Dina is in the beginning stages of dementia, and that is the reason why Grant wants to return to Paris. They won't go, naturally, or there would be no story.

As it stands, this Abbott family drama is off to a promising start. It was great seeing such a terrific turnout for dinner. I just wished that Kyle had been there with lone male, Jack. I really enjoyed seeing Traci. Her character adds so much more dimension to the family dynamic. It's a shame that she doesn't get home to Genoa City more often -- hint, hint, writers! I think I mentioned this before, but I'll say it again, I loved catching up on Dina's history through actual flashbacks from long ago instead of character conversations only. It was like watching home movies, and I was more invested knowing that this same Dina did exist in the past. It makes her more real and more believable.

If this is a story about dementia and redemption, then I expect to see some powerful emotions play out. From personal experience with a close family member, I know how devastating dementia can be and how difficult it is to see someone you love slowly lose touch. I do think that Dina will find redemption and that Ashley, Jack, and Traci will have closure. I expect the acting to be spectacular and excruciating at the same time. Even if this isn't a dementia story -- which it probably isn't since there has been no mention of dementia in the spoilers! -- I still expect the acting to be spectacular and emotionally moving.

Before I leave the Abbotts, I did want to comment on Abby, who seems ready to make Dina her new best friend, and really, it's no wonder because Abby isn't very successful at making friends, especially among those closer to her own age. That might be because she's not trustworthy around anyone's significant other. Abby had an affair with Summer's husband, Austin, and snatched Stitch out from under both Ashley and Victoria's noses and then dropped him like a hot potato just because Stitch's son killed Abby's unborn child and tried to kill Abby. Okay, I hear you. That is an acceptable reason.

I mention those relationships because Abby is starting off the same way with Scott that she started off with Austin and Stitch: adversarial rom-com dialogue. Abby and Scott keep slinging stinging barbs at each other, so how long before those snarky words spark a fire and Abby plucks Scott from Sharon's grasp? About as long as it takes for Sharon to trust Scott, don't you think?

Abby's on top of the world since coming clean with Darth Victor about her side business deal, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it will when Victor finds out that Abby went to Jack for the money to back that venture. I must have missed something, though, because I don't know why Abby had to go to Jack in the first place. Somebody, please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Abby sue Victor and get $750 million five or six years ago? What became of all of that? Right, right, "It's only a soap!"

Chelsea and Nick untangled the mystery of Chloe's disappearance, but Chelsea did not get the resolution that she was expecting, and Chloe's death did not give Chelsea any satisfaction. I'm not sure about the conversation that Victor had with Chloe's doctor just before Chloe's suicide. It almost sounded like Victor was instructing the doctor to take action and move Chloe somewhere else. I don't think Victor expected Chloe to die because he seemed genuinely shocked when Nick told him about Chloe's death, but that doesn't mean that the doctor didn't fake something and take it upon himself to keep Chloe alive and safe.

I won't be convinced that Chloe is dead until they show us the body in a coffin at a funeral service -- and then I want someone to take her fingerprints to make sure it's Chloe and prick her pinkie with a pin to make sure that she can't bleed, which she would if she were alive but in a deep sleep. If Chloe is alive, she and Kevin can reunite with Bella and live happily delusional lives ever after. Kevin has been so besotted by Chloe that I question his sanity. I hope that when he said he would drop his quest for revenge in favor of caring for Bella that he meant it. Surely, Kevin must realize that it was a lust for revenge that set this tragic tale in motion. However, I don't think Kevin is that rational, so I'm pretty sure that Kevin won't stop digging until he finds someone to blame for the whole debacle, other than Chloe.

Chloe's own end was the result of inconsolable grief that caused an illogical, yet insatiable need for revenge. Combine that with Victor's egomaniacal thirst for vengeance, and it became a toxic mixture. That Victor didn't intend for Adam to die hardly mitigates his part, but both his and Chloe's actions and eventual predicaments certainly point out the down side of a "revenge at any cost" attitude. I think the cost far outweighed the momentary pleasure. Both lost everything that they valued most in a quick second. I do think that Victor regrets what he did by unleashing Chloe on Adam and would take it back if he could. I'm not so sure about Chloe.

Somebody else that is going to lose big time is Cane, who is also tangled up in a messy situation after his tryst in Tokyo with Juliet and a failed attempt to get Billy fired. Now that Hilary knows all and Juliet is fed up and mulling a potential lawsuit for sexual harassment, Cane is about to find out that getting revenge on Billy instead of doing his job is going to bite him where it hurts most, and Cane will lose everything that he cares about.

Hilary is salivating for the opportunity to rub Cane's infidelity in Lily's face. I am going to feel really sorry for Lily when she finds out that not only was Cane unfaithful, but he sabotaged her career and got her commercial scrapped. The other reason I feel doubly sorry for Lily is because she just doesn't look old enough to have those SORASed twins. I know that the writers needed a summer teen romance for Reed, so the solution was to age Cane and Lily's kids, but honestly, how can Victoria have perpetual toddlers, and Lily, who is at least 20 years younger, have teens? Like the Lost in Space robot said, "Does not compute."

I do not expect Victoria to react well when she finds out that Billy and Phyllis are moving in together. I thought she was very honest and heartfelt when she talked to Nikki about taking Billy for granted. I have ranted about that very thing, and I'm glad Victoria finally listened to me! Victoria should have told Billy everything when she had the chance. I don't understand how anyone can expect to have an intimate relationship with a significant other if everything is not open and shared with all confidences kept.

Well, I guess I can imagine it. I just can't imagine being content, and neither can Victoria, if we can put any faith in the conversation she had with Nikki. Victoria seemed humbled and perhaps even chastened before she urged Nikki to make a decision about Victor, sooner rather than later, and then huffed off. Victoria may try to move on, but I suspect that her heart will always belong to Billy.

Victoria successfully dodged a bullet aimed at Brash & Sassy, but another hit is coming when she learns of Cane's betrayal and Juliet's lawsuit. For quite some time, Victoria's competitive nature has kept her at the top of the food chain, but that may all change if Victoria takes a big fall.

• Hilary and Devon still have sparks flying. Poor Mariah, she deserves better. Hilary is a terrific "bad" girl, and she will not give up Devon without a fight -- and Hilary won't play fair.

• I loved what Phyllis said to Jack after he defended Dina for insulting Phyllis. "You can stand up for a woman who didn't give you a second thought, but you won't stand up for a woman who loved you with her whol'e heart." I thought that was very well spoken, and sadly very true. My spidey senses were tingling so I suspect that Jack and Phyllis aren't over yet, which means that neither are Billy and Victoria.

• I vaguely remember the scene where Reed and his boring, shallow girlfriend broke up, and the fatal attraction friend moved on. Good riddance! Reed and Mattie make a better storyline because both sets of families are core characters and can interact. I'm not too thrilled by either actor at the moment, but they are young, and I'm willing to give them a fair chance. They have a wonderful opportunity to improve and learn from the veterans on Y&R, and if later in life they turn out to be superstars, then we will get to brag that we saw them when!

Please join me again in two weeks for a potluck at the home of Genoa City's newest power couple, Phyllis Summers and Billy Abbott, Philly to their friends. They will share love poems from the romance section of my favorite website, Boones-Tudes.com. As always, we welcome comments about Two Scoops from both readers and interested imaginary friends in the section provided below.

You can also follow me on Twitter -- Yes, ma, I've finally learned to tweet -- @BoonesTudes, though I still don't know what a hashtag means or why one uses it. Wee, wee, golly gee! I just figured out how to follow Dan, our illustrious leader, and you can too, @DanJKroll. Now, who else will I orbit in this new and expanding Twitter-verse? Follow me, and I'll follow you anywhere!

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