All cried out

Between Brad's way too real looking icy demise, Katherine's stubbornly absent memories, Colleen's heartbroken anguish and Nick and Sharon's temporary reunion, it was an emotional week.

Whew! What an emotional week. I'm like a limp, wrung out rag on the floor, the salt taste of tears on my lips, my Puffs box empty. Between Brad's way too real looking icy demise, Katherine's stubbornly absent memories, Colleen's heartbroken anguish and Nick and Sharon's temporary reunion, my poor little emotions have gone up and down and all around.

So much for any hope Brad might one day make a miraculous return. Brad beneath that ice, his gloveless hand frozen in an upright position, as if he'd desperately been trying to scratch his way through, his red scarf, so gay in life, but so ghastly in death, is a visual this fan won't soon forget. It was very eerie, extremely effective, and, unfortunately, irrevocably final. Hard to believe he's really gone for good. But there's definitely no way to write him back from something like that. Even though the Brad character had undergone such a transformation he wasn't much liked by many fans anymore, the man he used to be and his future possibilities will be missed.

Colleen, for so long her sole role one of support for other characters' dramas and traumas, finally got a chance to stand on center stage, the single spotlight focused on her, and her performance as a daughter dealing with her Dad's untimely death was noteworthy. She gave me a second reason to surge to my feet in support when she fearlessly took on Victor. It was a wonderful change to see someone finally give Victor some of the verbal abuse he's constantly dishing out to others. Yes, I know, her anger and disgust isn't likely to last, and obviously Victor wasn't much fazed by it anyhow, still, it was gratifying to see one Genoa Citian with no interest in prostrating themselves at Victor's feet with an open offer for him to walk all over them. Ashley certainly isn't likely to be growing a backbone anytime soon when it comes to Victor and the only way those fault-hiding glasses will come off the end of her nose is if Victor inadvertently knocks them off. For Ashley, Victor does everything but walk on water, and perhaps she thinks on a good day he could do that too. As for Abby, though I agree with fan Anita below that Abby dresses like she's 30, she is but a child who will probably continue to be bought with more expensive trinkets. Though she was shocked at first by the venom in the voice mail Victor left for Brad, I doubt she'll lose much sleep fretting about it.

For his reaction to the realization that Brad died saving him from he and Eden's own foolishness, Noah deserves kudos. His shocked and disbelieving face pressed against Nick's shoulder, that one glittering, tear filled eye looking out at nothing had me snatching up a Puff and mopping at my eyes. In fact, all involved were magnificent in that particular scene. The way Nick rushed through the hospital room door one second after Sharon told Noah the news, looking neither right nor left, his only goal to give immediate comfort to his son; the final picture of the three of them clasped in an embrace, clearly drawing strength from each other, while Jack looked at them through the windowed door, his own anguish and realization written clearly on his face, had me rewinding again and again.

Now that Brad's been dispatched, Victor has won by default the Board seat battle and tug-of-war-over Abby. Which leaves him free to focus all his vindictive might on Jack. In a different twist on the adage that one should keep his enemies closer than friends, Victor seems to be preparing to surround Jack with what he thinks are friends and family but will eventually wind up being his foes. With Ashley under his thumb both on the ranch and perhaps on the Newman board, Billy under his control through Jill, Jack will be under attack no matter which direction he turns. Hard to believe Jack stands even a slim chance against all that Victor-propelled power.

Her memory files may be temporarily lost, but Kay proved to the smirking pawnbroker she can still be a formidable foe to reckon with. Lucky for him, he wisely decided not to see if she could put her future money where her mouth had already gone. Katherine is breaking my heart with her just out of reach memories and she's got me on pins and needles here. It would be nice to have the occasional flash of memory to keep me going until she finally regains her memories, her mansion and her money. But, like fan Cheryl below, the consolation prize for all this pin and needle pacing in place has been the antics of the Kay-helping foursome of Kevin, Amber, Daniel and Jana. While I'm enjoying all four, Kevin and Amber have been absolute standouts. The renewed friendship between the pair has been fun to watch. But, please, no romantic crossovers. I like Kevin with Jana and Daniel with Amber, and would hate to see this foursome fracture because of infidelity. We've got enough of that with Sharon-Nick-Phyllis and probably more to come with Neil-Karen-Tyra.

Well, it seems the great debate will continue to rage on when it comes to Nick and Phyllis vs. Sharon and Nick. Obviously, each pair has its diehard, faithful fans and no matter which duo rises intact from the muddy dirt, there will be a faction of fans unhappy with the outcome. For instance, of this week's fans who offered an opinion, it's four for and four against when it comes to one versus the other.

For myself, I'm not a fan of Nick and Phyllis. For the most part, I'm a staunch believer of fair play and retribution for wrongdoing. So it's been hard for me to drum up much sympathy for Phyllis' predicament. I mean, come on, regardless of why she felt it necessary, it was she who furnished all the pieces and lined up all the players to engineer this whole scenario. She couldn't be content with Nick leaving his first marriage and loving her madly. So I can't quite figure out why Phyllis is painting herself so surprised. She took her trusty sledge hammer to Jack and Sharon's already crumbling marriage and now she wants to twist her mouth and cry croc tears because Sharon wound up in Nick's willing arms. Why such surprise that exactly what she feared most has happened? Had Sharon been interested in revisiting Brad's charms, she had ample opportunity to do so yet chose not to.

And another thing, Phyllis landed her man while he was married, and I happen to believe that what goes around can often take a roundabout route to return right back to you. And since soap life has proven there's almost always a price to be paid to Queen Karma for doing both good and evil, Phyllis should have known that one day she'd receive a demand for payment in the mail. And I also didn't feel a thing when she was whimpering about the unfairness of finally getting her dream, then have it start slipping through her tightly clenched fingers. Well, unfortunately, her dream was Sharon's nightmare, just as it was once Christine's when Phyllis' then dream man was already spoken for. It is just and fair retribution that what she did to other women is now happening to her. She didn't seem to care what she was doing to Sharon or Christine's dreams when she set out to win their men by hook or by crook. Maybe it's just me, but it's impossible to root for a woman like that. I can't help but consider it poetic justice that she's having to sample the dish she once served to Sharon.

Then there is the fact that she keeps going on and on about her husband, her marriage, their daughter. What makes her feel that those things are so much more important than those exact same things when they belonged to Sharon? Why is her marriage, her husband and her daughter so much more important than Sharon's husband, marriage and children were? Funny how things can sort of come full circle. Phyllis stated numerous times back then that she had little to do with the death of Sharon's marriage; it was already in trouble before she came on the scene, she asserted. Well, apparently unbeknownst to her, this time it's her marriage that's toddling around on uncertain legs causing Nick to look over his shoulder at what he used to have. Sure, Sharon wasn't immune to jealousy, she had to deal with Nick's frequent falls in the sack with Grace, but I'm guessing Nick will soon find out, if he hasn't figured it out already, that Sharon was a heck of a lot easier to deal with than a furious Phyllis is going to be. In her rage, she appeared fully capable of harking back to some of her old ways. Like tying Nick to a chair the way she once did Michael. Would be kind of funny to hear her trying to explain to Summer why Daddy was duck taped to a chair.

Now, don't get me wrong, Phyllis fans. I'm not in any way saying Sharon was all right and Phyllis was all wrong. But, unless you are truly a paragon of virtue, like Hope was perhaps, what red-blooded woman wouldn't feel at least a small scrap of secret satisfaction at returning the favor to a woman who waltzed away with what was once yours? It would have to be quite the ego booster and a nearly irresistible temptation to pay back the original wrong. But, was Sharon wrong in joyfully doing her part to help Nick cheat on his wife? Of course, she was. Does she stand on the side of right since Phyllis first did it to her? Of course not. Not to mention that, Nick stuff aside, there are plenty of other dark blots in Sharon's debit column. I tend to give her a free pass for the Cameron mess. We all know that had more to do with coming up with a cover story for those prolonged contract negotiations than because she was really the type of woman who would leave her children untended, then take up with some man who mashed her face into hamburger. Unfortunately, like tar, the Cameron mess stuck to her shoe and she's never been able to get completely away from the stench of her association with him or the stinky scent left behind because of that kiss she pressed on Victor's lips. Things only got worse when she changed her mind and decided she wanted Brad after all, even though he'd in turn changed his mind and picked Victoria instead. Like the uncharacteristic Victor kiss, there's just not much defense for that kind of behavior. One thing is for sure. The goody-goody Sharon we once knew is a thing of the past.

The debate of who is best for Nick and most deserving of his heart is likely to continue for some time to come. My pick is for Sharon, simply because Phyllis has had him for awhile now and I'm ready for something different. That's not to say that a Sharon and Nick reunion will even work after all this time. But I'd certainly like to see what could happen. It's not like he can't return to Phyllis if it doesn't work.

Of course, choosing a Nick and Sharon redo doesn't mean I just hate Phyllis. As I mentioned, I just don't like her with Nick. I do like her with Jack, however, although an awful lot of stagnant water has flowed beneath that particular bridge. But long ago or not, I have never forgotten how good they were together before Jack's stubbornness and her loyalty to Victor caused it all to go bad. Both brought out something in the other than none of their subsequent partners have ever managed to match. These two can be so unlikable alone or with others, but I still think they are dynamite together. Jack is the one person who knows all Phyllis' faults, but is still head over heels for her anyway. Just a couple of weeks ago, Jack was all hurt and offended humiliation when he learned the extent of Phyllis' interference into his marriage. I think he accused her of going for the jugular. Yet, he didn't hesitate to run to her side the moment she beckoned, offering whatever support she should happen to need.

Not that Nick doesn't love her, but if he knew pretty much all there was to know about her, would he still? When Phyllis was flipping out, then telling him exactly the way he was going to behave, whether he liked it or not, his face was the very picture of horrified. Though it's much too soon to count these two out, it seemed clear by the end of the week, that the last place Nick wants to be is with Phyllis. But I have a feeling that circumstances will cause that to change. Sharon is likely to immediately toss her top hat in the who's to blame for Brad's demise ring, while at the same time insist on sending Nick back to his rocky marriage for repair purposes. Just as in real life, the soap world is filled with double standards and the way fans regard Nick is a perfect example of that. While scorn and abuse is heaped on whatever lady's head you happen to like least, Nick has pretty much gotten a relatively free pass for his part in this ever-changing triangle. Though he's proven to be quite the unreliable mutt, with his favorite maiden flip-flopping, I still have a fondness in my heart for him. He couldn't do what he does without his ladies' full cooperation, so, of course, they bear the brunt of the fans verbal abuse. Unfortunately, that isn't likely to change. He's only doing what his father has done all of his life, with no real repercussions, and if the cycle isn't broken, Noah will probably grow up and follow their example.

Already, Noah is repeating the past, tagging along after Eden like a puppy hoping for a tasty dog bone, much the way Nick once did after Sharon. Now, I'm not saying that's an absolutely bad thing, just a first love kind of thing. Considering the multiple bad examples all of the consenting adults in Noah's life have shown him since birth, it's a wonder he's managed to turn out to be such a nice young man. Between the Mommy, Daddy and the step-parents, not to mention the stuff Grandma and Grandpa Newman have gotten up to, the grownups in this young man's life have run the entire gamut of thou shall nots, lying, stealing, cheating and attempted killing.

I guess if I was going to offer my sympathy to anyone, it would be hand-delivered to poor Jack. Like many of his fellow Genoa Citians, Jack is often his own worst enemy, doing so much of the dirty drudge work his actual enemies often don't have to do much more than come along at the opportune moment and deliver the final decimating blow that brings him to his knees. But, what must it feel like to always be nudged aside by a Newman? When it came to Diane, Nikki and Hope, all decided Victor was the better man for them, while Phyllis and Sharon both wound up preferring Nick. The only woman neither Newman was the least bit interested in was Keemo's mother. When is Jack going to learn that when it comes to the ladies, there's apparently nothing like a Newman. Yet, that knowledge didn't stop him from vowing to fight for his marriage. What marriage? There's nothing left to do with that pairing except to bring it to a merciful close. It's been dead so long; it's starting to stink to high Heaven. Time to bury it six feet under and move on to his next lady love. Who, if the rumors are accurate, won't be too long in coming to town.

Lastly, a few words about Noah's bad influence, Eden. Finally, finally, Lauren has had enough of her sister-in-law's surly smart aleck behind and lit into her with all the fury that had been pent up in her compact little body! Not only did I leap to my feet to clap and cheer loudly for Lauren when she reached out and ripped a chunk from the disobedient Eden, I used my rewind button to watch her rip her multiple times. Like many fans, I find Eden way beyond a bit annoying. Always up to no good, it's always someone else's face her lame ideas blow up in. Then instead of taking any responsibility, she has the nerve to mewl about it not being her fault. She's got too much of lying Lowell in her to be the least bit enjoyable, and I'm sorry, but that voice is so like fingernails on a chalkboard, were I watching in real time, I would likely turn on closed captioning just so I could avoid hearing it.

That's it for this fan. What follows are what my fellow fans had to say about Genoa City things. Enjoy and see you in a week!

* * * * * * *

April - Did anyone catch the look on Victors face when Abby called Brad Dad in the hospital! Yeah, daddy moneybags take that! It's good to see that like many teenagers, Abby is fickle. Eden is the most disrespectful and annoying person. She never answers a question that an adult asks without snarling and spitting out some sarcastic line. I just can't bear to watch her. I wish that when River blew town, he'd taken that brat with him. Why didn't she fall through that ice, maybe it would have humbled her.

Michelle - Cane once called someone and said "I'm in." Cane hired Roger. What if Cane is in on the plot to defraud Mrs. C out of her possessions?

Mearlene - What up with Phyllis and her teenage language? She is too old for Nick. I want Sharon and Nick to reunite. Phyllis and Nick's storyline needs to end and so does Cane and Chloe's life together.

Janice - I consider Young and Restless the best unreality show on TV! What a hoot it is!

Maryann - I agree with reader JoAnne about the budget cuts and the firing of Don Diamond. For the equal of his paycheck, they could have gotten rid of several lesser paid actors who aren't necessary to the show. Also, and as far as the recent snowstorm, how come every time someone comes in from the snow, they don't have boots on or snow on their coats or in their hair? And, Abby wanted to know if it was still "blizzarding". According to the dictionary, there is no such word! Nita, I love that I can vent my petty complaints in your column! Thanks!

Linda - I guess it is a positive thing that we all have different views on people and their actions. I don't condone Phyllis for her affair with Nick but she is far from the she devil she was years ago. Actually she is behaving exactly as I would behave if my husband was at his ex's beck and call. You can take it to the bank that I would scheme to create a diversion anyway I could. I'm a Phyllis fan, never have cared for Sharon, as sadly I've met too many Sharon's in my life. First impression is they are sweet and proper but their innocence is far from true. People seem to forgive Sharon her affairs or her scheming and sniping because she does it behind her false demeanor. I'm a Phyllis fan who is right in your face. The chemistry between Nick and Phyllis is hot. Between Nick and Sharon? Zip.

DL - Those of us of a certain age will remember all of the hoopla surrounding the 'Who shot J.R.' story on Dallas. Y&R might boost their ratings by having a 'Who beat Victor Newman to within an inch of his worthless life' plot. Think of all the characters that would be suspects. In fact, try to think of any character that would not be a suspect. We could show a gloved hand busting Victor across the head with a crowbar. Immediate suspects would include all his children, ex-wives, his ex-lovers, ex-girlfriends, ex-boyfriends (we can do a prison flashback; perhaps The Mustache has some secrets). The first suspects eliminated would be Neil, Michael, Paul, and J.T. (the four of them don't have enough collective testosterone when in the presence of the Great and Powerful Victor Newman to sponsor one gonad, much less swing a crowbar in his direction). The police would want to focus on Jack, Ashley, Tracy, Colleen, Abby, Noah (Grandpa Victor is relentlessly cruel to everyone in Noah's extended family, excepting Mama Sharon), Adam, Nikki, Kevin and Phyllis (because by their very nature, they are always suspect), and the ghost of John Abbott. We could have a surprise ending. Brad's mother survived the Nazi's; surely she could take out one Nazi want-to-be. Miguel or one of the ranch staff could return to wreak revenge for all of the nastiness they've witnessed over the years from Mr. Moneybags. My choice would be to have Nikki's sister Casey be the heroine. She has cancer, may be dying, why not make a grand gesture to remove The Black Knight from Genoa City and her sister's life. Then she can have the state of Wisconsin pay her medical bills. On another front, don't the writers realize that we viewers disliked Eden because of the way her personality was written, not because of the actress portraying her? Why change actresses and then continue to write the character as so unpleasant. As a retired educator, I can let the writers in on a secret. Not all teenagers are obnoxious. We accept that soap kids have to go to Europe or Summer Camp to be force-grown. But why let Abby develop such a surly Victor Newman-like personality while off camera, it could have made interesting viewing to see the sweet kid we knew for years develop into this spoiled brat. To his credit, the force-grown Noah is actually more likeable that the younger version. He is much more respectful of adults, and to our knowledge, no longer locks his dog in the dark closet. Of course, he is so dumb; we may discover that Sharon had an affair years ago with Cane, thus explaining the lack of grey matter between his ears.

Natalie - Nick and Sharon need to be back together. The chemistry between them is something else. They had such a romance, and shared two kids. If it weren't for the death of Cassie, and vulture Phyllis sweeping in, they could have worked out their differences and problems.

JoAn - This Nick and Sharon thing is too yuck! I couldn't stand this boring couple from the beginning. If the writers bring them back together, then I'm off the show for good. I hope they both get axed. Nick and Phyllis = fire, Nick and Sharon = boring! At least the writers did something right bringing Ashley and Victor back together. But that won't last. Nikki and Victor are addicted to playing head games with each other and other people. I like the new stronger Ashley. I don't think she'll take much crap from Victor this time. I'd like to see Nick beg Phyllis to take him back, and for her to tell him to take a hike. The writers are turning his character into a real jerk.

Anita - Since I work a full-time day job, I don't get to see a lot of the episodes. I get most of my Y&R updates via soapcentral.com. I have, however, been able to catch a couple of episodes on TV over the past couple of weeks. Eden's devious demeanor certainly does not fit her background of having been raised in an ashram. As for Abby, I really don't know what to say. She doesn't look like any adolescent female I've seen lately and comes off more like a 30-something trying to recapture her youth. Where are the tight-fitting jeans and low-cut clingy tops? And tats? And piercings? What's with the matronly bun in the hospital scenes? Most kids her age that I've observed either have the extremely straight hair partially hiding their faces, or have their uncontrollable wisps tethered loosely at their crowns. She looks to me like "the kid most likely to get her behind kicked in the school parking lot". Eden would likely be the kicker, too. She's a little not credible, too, but not as much as the overdone Abby. Maybe the writers should do something with that angle. Eden retaliates against Abby's accusations of evil and takes her down. Ha.

SK - I'm sorry, but this Eden is terrible! Her little sourpuss face is making me crazy. Abby isn't much better. Could you sound more like you were reading flashcards for the first time? Colleen, though, is really hitting it out of the park! She definitely needs juicier storylines! I like her a lot! I am so happy about Nick and Sharon. I don't care how they get back together, as long as they do.

Alma - It not fair for Brad to die when Sharon should admit she loves Brad too. Brad deserves to have a happy life with Sharon by his side. They have a love they can keep. Sharon and Nick don't belong together. They need to live separate lives. Phyllis and Nick deserve to be happy. Let Nikki and Paul have a happy life.

Latoya - I love this week's show with Nick and Sharon. They belong together.

Jan - Even though a lot of folks would rather see Nick and Phyllis together, count me out. I do not like Phyllis. She is a conniving old lady. Nick need to be with Sharon. If Phyllis recalls she took Nick from Sharon and cannot hold it over him that he and she have a daughter together. Nick and Sharon had Noah and Cassie. I wish they would put Nick and Sharon back together. I wish they would leave Lily and Billy together. I do not like Lily with Cane. I hope Daniel and Amber stay together or if they split up, put Amber with Cane. I love the storyline with Ms. Chancellor. She is a great actor. And yet, they need to bring Victoria Rowell back to the show. She is the only one that looks good with Neil. I don't like him with Karen and don't put him with Tyra. Jack and Phyllis belong together. I love Victor and Michael and Lauren are a great couple.

Pat - We are all tired of boring Nick and Sharon, I say let an old true love of Phyllis' come into the picture and send Nick's head spinning so he realizes he wants Phyllis and not Sharon. I thought Sharon and Brad made a hot couple, but I think you could recruit a few more hot guys her age into the show and still make it work.

Cheryl - I'm glad the whole cabin thing is over. Sharon wanted to go and find herself, and in the middle of a blizzard, all she found was a lot of company. Brad wanted to marry her. Jack begged to keep her. Nick went up for there for no other reason than to jump in the sack with her, and it sure didn't take her long to say yes. Now, she is suffering again. Oh well. What I have enjoyed very much is the surprising dynamic of the fearful/fearless foursome in Amber, Daniel, Kevin, and Jana. What a complex mix of chemistry - and it works. These four are so out of balance, but as they trade barbs and finally come to an agreement on what they are going to try next, there is a lot of fun in wondering what will happen next. These four have a most unexpected enjoyment of the show. I can hardly wait for Katherine to take back her rightful place in GC. Let the chips fall where they may.

* * * * * * *