The truth will set Daniel free

Although it took until the very last second of the week, the breaking news item was that Cassie finally remembered she was actually behind the wheel.

But he shouldn't hold his breath. Because obviously it won't release him just yet.

One of the best moments of the week came at the end of Monday's show. The montage of Cassie from then to now was nice and reminded me what an adorable little girl she was. I also enjoyed seeing a younger, carefree and much more likable Nick, before Nick bought into the supposition that nice guys finish last. So different than the Nick of today. When it comes to visually making an impact, in my opinion, no one does it better than Y&R; the changing pictures of the Newmans, Winters and Daniel being booked were excellent and worth several re-winds.

The rest of the week, however, felt a bit like dj vu and when all was said and done, the Friday credits having run, was I the only fan left wondering whether anything of substance actually happened? Although it took until the very last second of the week, the breaking news item was that Cassie finally remembered she was actually behind the wheel. Now, someone new to observing the ups and downs and tragedies and triumphs of Genoa City might have been fooled into believing that meant we were surely just around the corner and slightly down the street from flipping Daniel's topsy turvy world right side up. Regulars, however, know the only thing certain about Cassie connecting the last dot in the drunken driving picture is that not only are things not over, they'll likely drag on for at least another week, but probably longer.

With Cassie's temperature behaving much like the weather beacon in my town; showing hot, then cool, then hot again, the question on the table now is whether Cassie will have a chance to tell anyone about her miraculously restored memories. And if she does, will she be believed or will everyone think she's simply covering for Daniel? After all, she's already told at least two people how fervently she wishes she could help the boy she's besotted with.

As for Daniel, he's making noises about running away, a threat popular among certain trouble-prone teens, but I doubt he's going anywhere. Running takes wherewithal and wheels, neither of which he probably has. Besides, why run when one can hide in plain sight? He'll be living at the Abbott's remember? And somewhere on those extensive grounds, supposedly so far from the Abbott Inn no adult seems to remember its existence, yet close enough to get there on foot, is the old Abbott playhouse. Will Lily hide with him or will she be the bearer of his frequent food and drinks?

When all this is over, I hope there's a place in town large enough to hold all the people who will have to sit down at the table and choke down an over-piled plate of tough, chewy crow meat for all the venom-laced insults they hurled at Daniel's hapless head. At present count, there will need to be room for most of the Newman's, three of four Winters family members, the misdirected Detective Weber, Glen Wrong Again Richards, and all the friends Daniel says he once had but whom have now all turned against him.

Although the rest of the wee world of Genoa City might have Daniel already tried and convicted, Lily is not in that number. Despite repeated parental demands that she immediately sever any and all ties with Daniel, the alleged drunken delinquent, as expected, that only made his hot and flickering flame even more inviting to the Lily moth. And eyes wide open, Lily came close enough to feel Daniel's heat as the two finally shared their first kiss, proving to Lily that the scars caused by Kevin and Alex have at last healed.

By the way, did Lily start living an absorbing life when I wasn't looking? Neil said she had too much going on in her life to have time to hold Daniel's shaking hand until they slap the cuffs on him and haul him away. Maybe my eyes have been deceiving me all these months, but from my vantage point on the couch, the only thing I ever see her do is park her keister on a Crimson light chair to endlessly bemoan the sorry state of her life. That is, when she isn't setting or clearing the Winters' dining table.

Exactly what is going on with Devon? Now that he has a family, his once all-consuming concerns are likely behind him; so with nothing else to do, he's adopted Lily's problems as his own. I can't quite make up my mind whether his concern for Lily and contempt for Daniel is because he wants Lily for himself or just out of brotherly caring. I know most fans feel that even though they're not actually related, any romantic connection between Devon and Lily would fall right in the middle of the "ick" category. I think he's a wonderful actor; it would be nice to see him have a chance to showcase some of his abilities in a storyline of his own instead of just moaning and groaning and rehashing someone else's. Perhaps it's time he found another girl to occupy his idle mind. Of course, with the scarcity of available teens in this town, that seems to only leave Sierra.

Speaking of leaving, I'm sure all know by now that Damon will soon be a past rather than a current resident of the City. It's no secret I've never appreciated his presence, mostly because from the moment he arrived, no one seemed to know exactly what to do with him. So they propped the oversized Damon doll next to practically every adult woman in the city, then finally stuck him in a went nowhere romance with the renegade redhead, which in my opinion, signed his departure warrant. I know others might disagree with me, but I was never a fan of these two and didn't see or feel the chemistry others saw. Phyllis is such a dominating woman, her pushy abrasiveness makes her extremely unlikable, and Damon didn't bring out anything good in her. Instead, she came across as selfish, repeatedly putting her muscled man far ahead of the son she claimed to love so desperately. And in the end her determination to be the man in every relationship destroyed them. Damon and Adrienne might have had a chance had the scribes formed some idea of what they planned to do with her before she showed her face. But as with Damon, it seems she was another hire just tossed into the Genoa City mix and left to fend for herself. I imagine that when Damon departs, she will go with him. And reduced to filler, loitering unwanted around the edges of the Winters' family drama, I can't help but wonder whether Malcolm might be next.

Reminding me why I detest her so, Phyllis was her usual obnoxious self as she literally ran into Kevin at the Abbott front door. Just because she has pulled out her paintbrush and whitewashed all the sins that won her a blue ribbon in freakishness, doesn't mean we have forgotten any of them. If Kevin's a freak, Phyllis is even more so. Kevin only attempted to roast himself a tender little duckling. Phyllis succeeded. And yes, I know it was never proven she started the blaze that burned Sasha to a crisp, just as it was never established beyond an unreasonable doubt Diane was the poolhouse pyromaniac, I bet many fans are convinced both women are guilty of the crimes they never confessed to nor paid for.

So all of a sudden, Jack is Phyllis' white knight (pun intended), providing a just right bed for big, bad Red Riding Hood to nestle in. Yeah, I know, three different fractured fairy tales, but hey, it works. What I want to know is where was all that gratitude and affection when she was tossing him aside to salivate over Damon's rippling six pack? Phyllis has always been and likely will always be a user, batting her crafty eyes at any man willing to overlook her dangerous drawbacks in order to enjoy her always on display assets.

With 99% of the GC residents acting as if Gloria and her kin are the sole source of a bad smell permeating the City, it was refreshing to hear Tom try to come to her defense. It would seem that despite their break-up he may still feel a certain measure of fondness for her. He's the only one though. Because when it comes to Abbott-Fisher-Baldwin, this family definitely holds the top honors for most hated.

For Gloria, life at the Abbott Inn is definitely going to be a case of Me Against the World. With Phyllis adding her name to those who'd like to evict her from the house, a list that already includes John, Jack, Ashley, and Gitta, if she hopes to stay she'll have her work cut out for her. Daniel would probably be on her side, but something tells me he isn't going to be around much. I had another belly laugh when Ashley told Tom her theory that John and Gloria had no chance because they came from different worlds. What a hypocrite. She's estranged from a former hedge clipper for heaven's sake. Who received his veneer of respectability from marrying her sister!

And I'm no more impressed with John either. Once upon a time, he wanted nothing more than to see Phyllis disappear through the front doors, while being amendable to keeping Diane's manipulative rear around. Now he's all for providing free room and board to former family members? Even though he didn't appear to have made any immediate inroads in softening John's unyielding stance against Gloria, Kevin was impressive as he poured out his heart to John. Even though he may never be able to live down his past, Greg Rikaart just gets better and better.

As for Gloria, don't count her out quite yet. If she and Kevin can come up with the proper plan, superstitious Gitta may be the next to pack up her bags and depart the Inn. I can't wait to see what they have in store for that Ashley look and sound alike.

It was a nice change to see Phyllis and Dru put aside their respective differences and actually carry on an adult conversation. I understand that people have their problems, but it never ceases to amaze me how businesses in Genoa City can repeatedly skid to a screeching stop and go into pause mode for increasingly longer periods of time so one or all of its key players can settle their problematic personal situations. A company the size of Newman and we're supposed to believe their internet highway is impassible because of one seldom working web mistress? Right!

I'm beginning to wonder how in the world Jabot and Newman ever managed to carve out a lucrative spot on the Genoa City business totem pole. When its executives rarely work a week at a time before being overcome with some crisis that keeps them from coming to the office. Jill absented herself for months chasing after phantom parents. Phyllis is probably about to enter her third sabbatical, having disappeared indefinitely during the poolhouse debacle, Damon's revenge, and now Daniel's drunken driving dilemma. As for Ashley, I'm sure her frequent absences are a running joke at the company water cooler, what with her cancer, stillbirth, blanket baby, multiple mental malfunctions, and now her need to keep her witch fingers clenched around Daddy's fortune.

The one person whom we regularly see working is Lauren, oddly enough, one of the few who definitely has no need to do so. Only in Genoa City.

Of course, the reason Lauren has to put in so much time in her little shop of trendy trinkets is because none of the people who would normally work there, namely the Genoa City teens, don't work. But then again, since most infrequently attend Walnut Grove Academy for the rich, if not famous, I guess they're all independently wealthy and have no need for part-time employment.

The matchmaking games continued this week as Kay convinced Mac subterfuge was the sure way to win J.T.'s player heart. Just my opinion, but any heart I had to win by hook and by crook wouldn't be worth having. By the way, how funny was J.T.'s sudden concern about one of his disappearing roommates' share of the rent? I hurt my stomach laughing myself silly when Kay promised to pay Mac's rent. Because Mac hasn't worked since she returned to GC from the Indian reservation. Which means Kay had to have been footing Mac's bills all along. And it's not as if Kay is winning her granddaughter any great coveted prize. Just my opinion, but J.T. has lost all the sizzle he once had and teaming him with Mac guarantees they will both sink like weighted sacks to the bottom of the romantic sea. When it comes to being tiresome, I don't know which couple would be most deserving of the title of Jaw Crackingly Boring, Mac and J.T. or Bobby and Brittany.

Anyway, supposedly already feeling the pangs of loneliness for what he never had, nor seemed much interested in getting, J.T. is stumbling blindly into the satin trap set by Kay. I confess I'm still having a hard time buying into this sudden match-up between Mac and J.T.. Long ago, it was rather enjoyable watching former bad boy J.T.'s antics, but not anymore. Suddenly, after Rianna, Brittany, Colleen, Anita, one-night stand (whose name always eludes me), we're supposed to be thrilled that he and Mac are finally finding their way to one another. Maybe if while in the midst of one of the above infatuations, J.T. would have given us even a slight inkling that he was secretly attracted to Mac, it would have been different. But it was quite the opposite, the kiss Mac pressed on J.T. at Colleen's surprise birthday party, a perfect example of his disinterest. It's only now that Mac has become the only unpicked apple left in the entire orchard that J.T. suddenly has a hunger for her. And who is he getting? A perpetually perky 30-something looking woman with no substance, no friends and nothing to do except spend nearly every waking moment mooning after J.T.. Ugh!

My innings are over. Batters, to the plate and take your swings.

* * * * * * *

(Somehow I omitted Sandi's comment from last week. So, hoping late really is better than never, here it is. My apologies, Sandi!)

SANDI - If I see Brittany holding her stomach one more time, I am going to vomit. NO PREGNANT WOMAN GOES AROUND HOLDING HER STOMACH! Don't the writers know any better? I bet the baby gifts are coming from Brittany's parents (Dad?) Phyllis homeless? Did she ever pay rent at the tack house? She makes enough money to get her and Daniel a nice place. One more person living at the Abbott's and the house will be too small for all of them. Detective Weber AGAIN! There are no other police in GC but him?

LAURA - I believe the new character playing Mackenzie is all wrong for the part. Why did they cast her? She may truly be a good actress but that's not the way the old Mackenzie was portrayed. I like the characteristics of the old one. She was straightforward and to the point. This one's so bubbly I can't stand it.

EVE - I have been watching Y&R for 20 years, and all I can say is Y&R needs to stop doing stories about trials. This latest one with Daniel/Cassie is so bad I am not watching the show until this storyline is OVER. It's ridiculous. (1) Just about everyone on the show has been arrested and tried for a crime they're not guilty of; at this point, the innocent-but-everyone-thinks-I'm-guilty line is BORING. (2) Glen Richards is always wrong; we know that. After a while, it's a standing joke - remember, they did this for years on Perry Mason. God knows they need to give it a rest. (3) And if they must do legal/judicial system stories, how about getting a writer who knows something about how the justice system works? A 17 year old boy who doesn't remember squat isn't going to do hard time for years and years. He'd get his driver's license yanked, he'd be put in alcohol treatment, and he'd be on probation for 3 years. It's not until the 2nd or 3rd that jail time is mandatory. (We all know Cassie isn't going to die.) Enough is enough!

SHEL - The one thing that REALLY gets on my nerves lately is this crap they're starting with Victoria and Brad. Wasn't he almost her step-daddy? Can you say "robbing the cradle"? Can you say "could they have picked a worse actress to play Victoria"? No, my intense dislike of the replacement Victoria is not because of any loyalty to Heather Tom (although I'm REALLY beginning to appreciate just how good she was when compared to the second string). It's just that I've seen wooden posts that were more animated and passionate. Well, I guess if Danny and Cassie don't work out, maybe we could get Danny and Victoria together which would free Brad and Cassie up . . . hey, stranger (and sicker things) have happened/are happening in good ol' Genoa City!

MARY - Y&R's bad boys are having a hard time. It is a little grim. I hope Daniel does not have to pay for an accident he didn't cause. They are really trying to throw the book at him. And boy are the Winters a self righteous bunch. And while I admire Kevin for standing up to John, it looks like he is going to miss out with Mackenzie. I might add that seeing Mackenzie with Katherine has been the only bright storyline on Y&R last week.