Blind man's bluff

Adam returns to Genoa City, feigns paranoid schizophrenia, gets put into the same mental hospital as Patty, and proceeds to stalk and terrorize her like a man with 20/20 vision!

Don't you love it? Adam returns to Genoa City, feigns paranoid schizophrenia, gets put into the same mental hospital as Patty, and without so much as a white cane or Braille instruction kit, he proceeds to stalk and terrorize her like a man with 20/20 vision! Hel-lo, Maria Arena Bell -- don't you remember that this guy is going blind? Don't you realize that he should be walking into walls at the hospital? Can't you see that your audience isn't buying this latest feat of evil-doing by a character who you are unable to redeem or condemn with conviction?

Of course, you have to wonder what the hell Adam was thinking when he got himself locked up in the psych ward. He didn't know Patty was there, did he? How could he be sure that he'd be put in the same place? And yet once he was there, he was skulking around like he knew every linen closet and secret passage. Wouldn't it have been a hoot if he went into the air conditioning duct and got stuck there? Or better yet, got completely lost in the inner workings of the ventilation system.

That would be funny, but wouldn't you like to see a touch of realism for a change? I would. Hospitals have security systems and cameras that record hallways and entrances and dayrooms. Instead of Patty being doubted by the authorities, why don't they look at the security tapes? And how come Adam is like the killer in every teen horror movie, the one nobody can see until he's right in your face. Patty could see him clear as day, but nobody else noticed the bushy, bearded guy with the construction paper mask and black baseball cap. You think he was using Harry Potter's invisibility cloak?

Another funny thing about Genoa City these days is how justice is dispensed. When Owen confronted Adam with proof that he had bribed Ellis to get Nick out on bail, the D.A. had an obligation to arrest Victor. He's an officer of the court. And yet, instead of slapping the cuffs on him, Owen said he would forget about it. What? That's inconceivable...unless you're Victor Newman and you can get away with murder.

Nick has been playing both sides against the middle for a while and this week Phyllis had enough. She told Nikki that her son's undying devotion for Sharon was just too much for her to bear. She's had enough. But you know what will happen with Phyllis, she'll give up Nick and then regret her decision. She'll see Sharon and Nick together and it will make her nuts. I guess Phyllis would never consider taking Nick to see a marriage counselor. That would be a logical course of action, trying to save your marriage. But logic doesn't play as dramatically as leaving your hot husband and not thinking about your little daughter who needs a full-time daddy.

Assuming that Adam gets off, and you know somehow he will because Patty's going to be nailed with Richard Hightower's murder, it's likely that he's going to want to get Sharon back. I'd like to think she's too smart to fall for him again, but Sharon and smart don't go together. As the saying goes, she's not the sharpest tool in the shed. Or when they were handing out brains, she was in the blonde line.

Don't get me wrong; I like Sharon. I just don't think she learns from her mistakes. She falls into the same rabbit holes time and time again. How many times does she have to get her heart broken before she decides to be her own woman and not rely on a man to define her?

I guess you could say that Ashley's an independent woman. Since getting out from the insane marriage to Victor, Ashley's been reborn. This week she took Neil's rejection with lan, but then it helped that she has Tucker as a potential new man in her life. I know the writers want us to forget how crazy Ashley was with the whole Sabrina affair, but our memories are strong and we know that Ash was a basket case not that long ago.

A few of you have written in that you're not happy with the new Heather. I am. I think she's great, especially with Chance. He needs to see another kind of woman, and if you can't see Chloe and Kevin clicking as roomies, you're as blind as Adam (oh wait, that didn't come out right). But you know what I'm talking about. Heather is the right kind of woman for a straight arrow like Chance. Chloe is going to cause him to go prematurely gray with the antics she's likely to pull.

You want to know which character I'm fed up with? Jill! She's a grown woman -- which is a kind way of saying she's well beyond her childbearing years. Why on earth is she getting all bent out of shape about finding out that she's a Fenmore? And does she really expect Lauren to be dancing with joy over getting a big sister at this point in her life? What kind of alteration can Jill hope for now? She's going to spend Christmas with Lauren, Michael, and Fen? She's going to have to start a new scrapbook of family photos?

Jill is more likely to stick her nose in Fenmore business. That'll go over like a lead balloon, don't you think? Is there some reason that Jill can't just be happy with what she has -- her children, her extended family with Katherine, her Foster brothers?

While Neil was busy selling Indigo to Jeffrey and Gloria -- which is good 'cause they needed something to do! -- and severing ties with Ashley, there wasn't anything substantive about Mac and Lily and Cane and the babies. What's that all about?

Here are some letters from the mailbox -- keep 'em coming, fans!

Boy, the recession must be hitting the great and powerful Victor Newman hard, too. Since when does he go out an do his own dirty work? Chasing after Adam seems so unlike The Mustache. But, then again, Y&R is barely recognizable these days. What happened to corporate intrigue and slowly paced, common sense storylines that were worth the wait in the end? Digging up all these old characters doesn't mean anything with all these crappy storylines and busted characters. -- Esperanza

Allison: As always, love your column! So glad to view last week's storyline with Jack and Victor joining forces to root out Adam's evil chicanery and finally exposing him! Certainly beat out the rather dull Foster Family hospital reunion (though I loved Liz and Snapper)! I'd hate to see go: Billy J Miller ("Billy Abbott")! He's an excellent character actor and one 'you just love to hate'! It would be a big mistake to let this guy go! Also, Clementine Ford (Mac)! Writers: give this good actress a better storyline! -- Claudia

I am so sick of this glossing over about Adam's eyesight! Are we going to find out that this was fake too? The writers are really asking a lot of forgiveness from the viewers with this. Is anyone besides me just irritated every time they see Snapper? David Hasselhoff is just terrible! Really bad acting there. -- Kendy

Your comments are always welcomed here at Soap Central, so stay in touch. You can send me your thoughts at any time and you can also post your own version of Two Scoops over in our Blogs section -- and keep on reading Two Scoops every week! Best,Allison