Madness mania

Perhaps they've been spiking the coffee at Crimson Lights, because there's something wicked and mad happening in Genoa City.

Perhaps there's something in the water or they've been spiking the coffee at Crimson Lights because there's something wicked and mad happening in Genoa City. Let's start with Ashley Abbott. I know she has a history of mental instability. I know that Dr. Taylor claims she's in the midst of an hysterical pregnancy. But it wasn't till this week that I really came to believe that Ashley is mad as a loon. What else can explain that scene in the back seat of the limousine? That vision of Sabrina was not an Adam creation. Nope, that was all Ashley. She's lost it. Seriously. Congratulations, Victor, you've done it again. You've taken a perfectly rational woman and turned her into a candidate for a rubber room.

It's only going to get worse, you know. Ashley still thinks she's preggers. Once she discovers that there is no child and that she's probably dying of some horrible blood disease because she was not properly treated after the miscarriage - good work, Dr. T! - Ashley is likely to go postal. Is this the same woman who rescued Victor in Paris after Sabrina's death? I don't think so. A year of Victor's tender, loving care has rendered her a screaming Mimi. She was actually sitting in that car and screaming at Sabrina's vision.

Lunatics seem to be in vogue on Y&R, which is why I'm curious about the water. Mary Jane takes the cake for bizarre behavior, and again, I wonder about what the hell Victor was thinking when he brought her to G.C. This week he accused Billy (and Jack) of having half a brain, but what kind of strategic genius has Victor become if he didn't realize the Mary Jane was a loose cannon? Victor is such a son of a bitch that it's getting harder and harder to like him anymore. I want to. I remember the good stuff he's done, but the vendetta against Jack is out of control. What was the end game after bringing Mary Jane back to Jack's life? Was she supposed to destroy him in some way? What was the plan? It's not clear that Victor ever had a purpose other than to reveal that Mary Jane was Patty, Jack's first love? Um...big deal? So what? How was that going to hurt Jack? And do you really think springing a mentally deranged woman from a life far removed and presumably stable from the place where she lost it originally was wise? Kind of like playing with dynamite and having it blow up in your face. Good work, moustache!

The madness mania isn't only the straight-jacket variety. Is there anything other than mania to explain that bouncing ball named Nick Newman. You know what I'm talking about, right? Bouncing here to Sharon and shopping for a house, bouncing there to Phyllis for a "let's renew our vows" ceremony, boing, boing, boing. Where will he bounce next? And he does it all with such fervor. A month ago he was shacked up with Sharon at the Athletic Club, talking to her belly, intent on being a father to her child and fulfilling Cassie's dream. Now, he's bounced back to Phyllis with just as much passion and dedication. There must be some kind of mental defect that allows someone to turn his emotions on and off like a light switch. ...Or maybe he's been in the water supply, too?

Maybe because he's new to town, but doesn't it seem like Chance is one of the only people that's got his head screwed on straight? I don't mean straight as in sexuality, although it's clear that he's heading for a thing with Chloe if she would simply open her eyes and give him a tumble. But Chance has impressed me especially in the scenes he had with Phillip. I agree somewhat with Phillip that the 1980s were not as accepting a time for a man to be openly gay. But good for Chance to point out to his father that his actions meant abandoning his only son. And good for Philip to turn around and point the finger at Jill as the parent who taught him all about abandonment. The sins of the parents are visited on the children, no doubt about it.

I'm still struggling to figure out what's the point of Deacon's storyline? Can it really be Amber? She was a complete mess this week. I kept thinking of the song "Tears of A Clown" because she was a walking waterworks. She bawled in ever scene. Who would want to lie, cheat and steal for a romp in the sack with her? It seems to me that the entire Deacon/Daniel/Amber triangle has been a plot device to give the actors something to do. It's going nowhere.

On the other hand, I think Jill's other son - the real one, not the Australian con artist/good guy - has grown a spine. I'm talking about Billy of course. I hardly recognized him now that he's grown a new set of cajones! Is that what happened to him after finally schtupping Mac? Yes, Billy the fun-loving playboy and family screw-up, has matured overnight. He was acting like a grown-up. I loved his defending Colleen, blasting Jill for making deals with Victor and using Billy as a pawn, and especially Billy's confrontation with Victor at the Newman board meeting. Wasn't it great to see him nearly come to blows with Victor? I'm not really into violence, but I would pay to see Billy and Victor in the ring. That might be fun, with Jack in Billy's corner and Nick in Victor's. Maybe they could do it like a tag-team wrestling match! The most formidable corner person for Victor might be Nikki. Have you noticed that lately she's been gravitating back into Victor's orbit? I don't know if she's really still in love with Vic or if she's simply a masochist. Doesn't she remember how nastily Victor treated her in Mexico? He was horrible to her and she just keeps coming back for more. Oh, sure, there's history between them. They go way back. They have family ties. But Nikki was also the one who sent Ashley to Victor when he was having a breakdown after Sabrina's death. At that ultimate moment, Nikki wasn't the answer. You would think by now that Nikki has figured out that the best of her and Vic is in the past, not the future. You would figure that, but apparently the madness has hit Nikki, too. Maybe Nikki needs a hobby - quilting? Scrapbooking? Taxidermy, you know, so she can stuff cats like Kitty...There isn't much happiness on Y&R these days. Lily is facing months of chemotherapy and if her daddy doesn't stop his interfering, she won't even have Cane to help her get through that. It's time for Neil to stop crying to Dru and start stepping up for his daughter. If Cane makes Lily happy, Neil has to let him be there for her. J.T. and Victoria seem to be on the outs, so there happy time is over. There was a really weird moment when J.T. told Victoria she hasn't been the same since the incident in the alley. What? You mean the tight-ass, loyal-to-daddy, my-poop-don't-stink-attitude is only the result of her getting plunked on the head in the alley? I thought Victoria has always been like that. J.T. doesn't need to be on the Newman leash, father or daughter, so there doesn't seem to be a way for them to keep it together. There was a recent mention of J.T. singing in high school; could that be his next career choice? Hmm...could be.

Finally, one mad woman remains to be discussed. Sharon, our lady of the lies. What was she thinking when she told Jack the truth? Was she making up for the mistakes of the past or sowing seeds for more mistakes in the future? I don't understand how Sharon can live with herself, considering her fragile emotional state that expresses itself in kleptomania, when she lies over and over and over again. She's got to know that nothing good comes from all those lies. Jack was right to say that he deserved better from her. And she deserved to be gobsmacked by the sight of Phyllis and Nick renewing their vows. You lie and you will live to regret it. Well, till next time, please keep reading and commenting. All of us here at Soap Central enjoy your input, especially if you're as mad as we are about Y&R!

Best,Allison

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