The bigger they are...

Is it possible that Genoa City's most powerful giant is actually going to be cut down to a more mortal and manageable size?

. . . the more pain they feel when they slam into the ground.

Is it possible that Genoa City's most powerful giant is actually going to be cut down to a more mortal and manageable size? History has taught us that Victor rarely loses a battle, let alone the entire war, but perhaps times they are a-changing.

When Nick moseyed on past the empty chair between Michael and Victor and seated himself alongside his sisters, I'm sure you could easily have heard the ping had a pin been dropped in that room. Nick has clearly had it up to here with his father's shenanigans. He forgave him for the part he played in Summer's peanut reaction. And despite whatever doubts he undoubtedly harbored, he ignored them, taking Daddy's words for truth when he denied having a hand in spiriting Skye to Hawaii. Nick even seemed willing to step aside with no hard feelings while Daddy waltzed off with the woman he wanted for himself, agreeing to sit supportively beside his father at the arbitration table.

But it appears Victor may have stumbled a step too far when he decided to make Sharon the scapegoat for Skye's death. Would Victor have mounted his white steed and ridden to Sharon's rescue in the nick of time? More than likely. But, I guess that's something we'll never know now because Nick has taken matters into his own angry hands. Victor should have remembered what happened the last time Nick turned on him because of Sharon. He barely escaped being sent to federal prison for commercial bribery. This time, there is more than his freedom at stake. He stands to take a hit to his biggest pride and joy -- the company. And if Victor thinks Nick is angry now, just wait until baby boy discovers Daddy knew about his relationship with Diane. Because you know good and darn well he's eventually going to find that out.

Speaking of that, I almost felt sorry for Nick on Valentine's Day as he was first sent reeling by Diane's deception, then knocked for another loop as he witnessed Sharon accepting Adam's proposal. He probably wished he had sent the babysitter away and just stayed at home with Faith and Summer.

Nick wasn't the only resident whose Valentine's Day was more sour than sweet. Jana stayed stuck in stalker mode as she sniffed out Chloe and Kevin. But her persistence only paid off in pain as Kevin quickly sent her packing before finally consummating his relationship with Chloe. I know many fans prefer Kevin and Chloe as platonic pals rather than lovers, and now that Chance has returned, they just might get their wish if the scribes let Chance stick around and write him differently this time.

So what's up with Chance's brother? I'm totally with Nina on this one. I just don't buy that Ronan came up with this unlikely plot just to get a piece of Chance's liver. And the moment he gets it, he has his fellow Feds immediately whisk him away. No way. If anything, it will likely turn out his actions had everything to do with protecting his family. So I look forward to watching each condemning Genoa Citian who was so quick to think the worst of Ronan, choke down his or her serving of scorched crow when they are proven wrong. If Chloe, who seems to hate Ronan for choosing Heather over her, hadn't been so fast to fling unproven accusations around, would the others have so quickly joined her witch-hunt?

It probably wasn't the best Valentine's Day for Nikki either, even though she was sober and had Deacon by her side. I hope she enjoys him while she can because once she finds out the part he played in Meggie's plan, that will be the end of their odd love affair. Deacon's not the first, nor will he be the last, to choose covering his tracks over telling the truth. But I won't feel much sympathy when it all blows up in his face. But getting back to Nikki. Victor treated her in his usual insulting manner, slashing her with his sharp tongue at every opportunity, but, so used to it by now, she didn't even flinch when his barbs hit their mark. In fact, one of the best verbal exchanges of the week happened when Victor told Nikki: "I don't give a damn," and she retorted in her most bored tone: "Yes, Rhett, I've heard." Me, I fell on the floor with hyena-like laughter.

Despite Sharon's joy in her renewed love affair with Adam, and Hope's sparkler on her left hand, fans continue to condemn her for allowing him back into her life. I felt the same way for a while, but have finally changed my mind and jumped on their bandwagon with my pom poms. Yes, he cruelly snatched her newborn tot and handed her off to Ashley. And yes, he spent the next six months watching her grieve without doing anything to alleviate her pain. In real life, few women would forgive him, although judging from the headlines, women have accepted worse from men they continue to love who abuse their babies, but this is a soap.

Not to make a bunch of excuses for Adam or to pretend what he did was right by any measure, but at the time, he wasn't in love with Sharon and was only interested in covering up his dirty tracks. While it was horribly cruel to separate mother and daughter, at least he gave Faith to a woman who would ensure she came to no harm. And as far as soaps go, there have been many who did much worse. Dru and Olivia kept Neil in the dark for years about the possibility that Malcolm could have fathered Lily. Ashley did the same to Victor and Abby by keeping her slimy sperm snatch shrouded in secrecy, even letting Brad adopt Abby, until she determined the truth should come out. And not only did Victor forgive her, he later married her.

All that to say, I'm a lot more okay with Sharon and Adam than I used to be. The one thing he has in his favor is the fact that he truly seems to love Sharon. Not like cheating Nick or Jack, who spent much of their marriage lying through his teeth, and, who in my opinion, never really stopped loving Phyllis. Besides, if not Adam, who could Sharon be with? It's not like there is an abundance of eligible men in this town. Fans seemed not to want her with Nick, nor with Jack, or even with Billy. I'll take her with Adam over a lifetime of mental meltdowns and sticky-fingered, amnesiatic behavior.

Plus, I'm getting a little tired of the residents endlessly repeating their disapproving opinions every time Adam and Sharon show their faces. It seems all in Genoa City can make all the bad choices in their own lives that they want to, yet they want to dictate what Sharon should do. It's not like any of these opinionated residents gave a rat's tail about Sharon when she was falling apart. Instead, I just remember everyone tisking and tasking as they verbally trashed her and showed her their hypocritical backs.

When it comes to Nick and Diane, I confess I don't see the chemistry that some fans see. I know the current actress is younger than the previous portrayer, but despite the change in face and form, I'm having a hard time forgetting Ashley, Diane, and Nikki locked in a three-way game of steal the sperm, or the fact that Kyle should be hanging out with Abby. Besides, despite her youth, this Diane is so Mom-like in both demeanor and dress, she seems no younger than the other Diane, and a bit of a mismatch for Nick.

But, if not Diane, who else can share Nick's bed? So, even though I'm just not feeling the lust between them, I will enjoy watching the fireworks explode in a contentious contest between father and son. Whether Nick finds out Victor knew about him and Diane or not, I can still see Nick going after Diane to repay Victor for his dirty deeds.

Despite the ewww factor, parent-child sharing is nothing new in Genoa City. Jack did it to his father with Jill. Nikki's doing it with Deacon, who was once with Victoria, and did the same with Cole. Victoria married Brad who was once her mother's lover. I guess that stuff is bound to happen when parents gets involved with partners young enough to be attractive to their like-aged kids.

What is Victor up to with Diane anyway? I certainly don't believe he's fallen head over heels for her. Nor do I think he just wants to snatch her away from his son. Which means it probably has nothing to do with love and everything to do with his hatred of Jack. We know Victor can come up with some pretty convoluted plots to take Jack down (like Patty), so it's not hard to believe he would use Diane and Kyle to taunt and torment Jack. As to what Diane wants, that's harder to figure out. Even though she moved in with Victor and claims he always did "get to her," she's clearly not in love with him, as evidenced by her words, "we have a deal," like they had just decided to go into business together instead of start a love affair. So does that mean she's still the same gold digger she used to be or is this all about security for Kyle? And if that's true, why didn't she take Jack up on his offer to move into the Abbott home, and then she could have continued to be with Nick?

With Phyllis no longer completely focused on the Sharon-Skye saga, how much longer will joy reign in the Father Knows Best house? You know Phyllis. She must always be embroiled in the middle of some drama or another, and with Sharon out of the way, it's only a matter of a very short time before she sinks her fangs deep in the Daisy mystery. It's a wonder her radar hasn't already picked up on the fact that there is definitely something rotten in Denmark when it comes to Daniel. He practically gives himself away every time he gets close to Lucy. Phyllis is already thinking about the good old baby days of Daniel every time she sees Lucy. How long before she recognizes Daniel's features (or her own) in Lucy's face?

So, rumor has it that Sheila's other evil twin will soon show his face in Genoa City. By the way, don't you love how all these wanted criminals can come in and out of Genoa City without fear of being locked up with the key tossed away? I guess in GC, the only time you need to worry about imprisonment is if you didn't commit the crime. Anyway, much as I was originally disappointed to learn Ryder was on his way back, I have since changed my tune. I can't wait to see if Jana's feelings for Ryder are as nonexistent as she has claimed. After all, it's not like she was the one to pull the plug on that relationship. Ryder literally left her parked forlornly on the curb and with Kevin shunning her, will she become vulnerable to Ryder again? Of course, if Ryder returns, does any fan believe Daisy won't be right behind him? I have a hard time believing we've seen the end of Daisy or that she won't come back to find out what happened to the daughter she left in the church.

As always, there's plenty more to say, but it will have to wait for a future column. So, until you see my biased opinions in this space again, I hope you enjoy reading what your fellow fans thought about recent Genoa City things.

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I am enjoying Y&R very much. Add me to the list of Adam/Sharon fans, love them! Rooting for Kevin & Chloe, hoping anyone brings Victor down, looking forward to the eventual drama Billy & Victoria will face. I'm very intrigued by Nina and her two sons' story. Cane's death, while heartbreaking, was some of the best drama I've seen anywhere. Kudos to the entire cast for a great job. They delivered as usual. Y&R rocks! Don't miss a day! - Alberto.

I am upset over Cane's death, but am glad they are finally focusing on some other story lines. Malcolm has the nerve to berate Sophia about trying to help Cane after all his shady doings? And he has the nerve to bring up Dru and the paternity situation? Then he says he doesn't trust Sophia. He doesn't deserve this woman. I hope she kicks him to the curb, and goes for Neil! Diane, Diane. Caught by Victor getting cozy with his son, after Victor and Diane were playing friends with benefits. Face it, Nick and Diane are just Eww! The Black Knight has finally made the wrong move on the chess board. Caught red handed on the volcano. Can't wait for next week! - Lisa

I like Nick and Diane together. It keeps him from whining about Sharon and Adam and straddling the fence on did Daddy have a hand in Skye's disappearance. Don't think I want Nick and Diane together permanently but as a distraction that's fine. You're right. Malcolm has turned into a potty mouthed just plain mean street thug. And just who is he to get all self-righteous on Sofia when he turned tail and ran when the truth came out he was Lily's father. I think Neil and Sophia are just around the corner. - Pat

The world is depressing enough without my favorite soap killing off people, not to mention the constant splitting of couples. You become attached to the character and it is such a loss when you kill them off and we know we won't see that character again. Would you please never split Billy and Victoria? It would be nice to see one relationship make it for the full term. I'm sure your followers would like to see "happily ever after" for once. The fans like happy, not misery. We have enough of that in our own lives. I want to escape to some place happy, not depressing. - Gigi

OMG - the writers of Y&R absolutely hate the fans. First, Cane and now Ronan? The Ronan storyline was the only reason I was watching. I hoped that they would bring back Chance and have a real juicy quadrangle. It would've been the best. I love Victor, but I don't need to see him kissing folks anymore. In fact, a crazy-Victor-in-jail story would be excellent. The man is dynamic, but I was loving the Ronan-Heather-Chance-Chloe story. Simply no respect for the fans. - DH

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