The Genoa City Disco: Time to change partners and dance

Is it really going to happen? Are Victor and Sharon the next hot couple in Genoa City? Well, if you want to see a few heads explode, check out where this storyline may be heading. Darth Victor has sinister motives on his mind, and Sharon's not nearly as innocent as some might think! It's also time for an Abbott family conference to smack some sense into Jack and Ashley, don't you think?

Well, if there's one thing constant in Genoa City, it's this: sooner or later, you're bound to see a couple you'd never think you'd see pairing off in a million years! That was going through my mind as the Friday episode came to a close. Are we really going to see Sharon and Victor in a serious, romantic relationship? It certainly seems like that's the direction in which they're heading. Sharon was all atwitter when she returned to Victor's office after Phyllis had pretty much slapped her in the face with the news that Nick was going to be a daddy again and Phyllis was the mommy. Sharon couldn't handle the news.

Or maybe it was a buildup of anxiety for Sharon? Her Phyllis encounter did come after Victoria had insulted her by questioning her dinner with Victor. And Sharon had also witnessed Adam going off with Chelsea on his arm. Clearly Sharon was feeling adrift and alone and in need of someone to care about her. Who was she going to turn to -- Sam, the New Mexican vet that she tossed aside last year? Jack, who's hankering for Nikki? That left only Victor.

When Sharon showed up all needy and flummoxed, Vic wasn't doing the fatherly, "think of me like a Dad" bit. Nope, Victor was ready to get romantic. Sharon's no babe in the woods either. She knew by going to Vic's office after dark that things between her and her ex-father-in-law were entering uncharted and dangerous waters.

So, if this comes to pass, if Sharon and Victor become a couple, it's going to blow the minds of half of the people in Genoa City. It won't be like the faux engagement when Victor was in prison, Sharon agreed to be his proxy, and they were married in name only. Nope, this is going to be the real deal. Let's do a little roll call and anticipate the reaction from Sharon and Victor's family and friends, shall we?

Adam will smirk bitterly and want to hurt his father and Sharon, thus testing his resolve to be a better man since his eyesight was restored. I'm betting he'll turn nasty again. Jack will smirk and advise Sharon to run far, far away from the mustache before she gets dragged down into his cauldron of villainy. Nick will scowl and wonder how his father and ex-wife could do this to him, since Nick is the center of his own universe. Phyllis will get upset that Nick cares about Sharon's love life and retaliate with an expos in Restless Style about Sharon being Victor's latest trophy wife (assuming it goes that far).

Nikki will forget that she's supposedly in love with Jack and confront Victor to demand that he explain himself. Hopefully, she won't be lured back to the bottle, although it could happen. Katherine will roll her eyes and realize that she cannot explain what Victor Newman does in the bedroom, but he's her friend, and she'll stand by him. Victoria will label Sharon a gold-digger, and Abby will want to scratch out Sharon's eyes. Perhaps we'll see Sharon's mother, Doris, dragged out of the woodwork to chastise her daughter -- yet again -- for making such bad choices.

In other words, dear readers, Maria Arena Bell is putting Victor and Sharon together just to stir the pot! This is all about creating friction and wreaking havoc. Never mind that it seems skeevy and inappropriate. Never mind that Sharon is still in love with Adam, no matter how she tries to deny it. Never mind that this storyline could escalate to the point where Sharon has Victor's baby -- which will really blow up the Newman family tree! Nope, this is all about spinning a wild story.

On the subject of family, it might be time for an Abbott family conference. With the exception of Billy's happy Father Knows Best existence with Victoria, the Abbotts are falling apart. Kyle's home from hockey camp, and thanks to some rapid aging, he's turned into a junior version of Billy a few years ago. He has a bad attitude and a chip on his shoulder. Kyle blames Jack for Diane's death, or at least for boinking the woman who killed his mother, and he's drifting over to the dark side.

The dark side, obviously, is Mr. Darth Vader himself, Victor Newman. Maybe he's Darth Victor? Anyway, Kyle couldn't have hurt the Abbott family more if he'd tried. It's not just that he's living at the Newman ranch, but he also went to Victor for a job. That wasn't necessary. Kyle could have gotten work from Uncle Billy, Aunt Ashley, or sixteen other outlets in town! He chose Newman Enterprises to stick it to dad. It's only a matter of time before Victor will find a way to use Kyle as a weapon in his war with Jack. It's inevitable.

Ashley's another Abbott in serious need of an intervention. I don't think she's figured out yet how to be a married lady. How many times has she tried? Five, six, seven? I've lost count, but she never seems to learn that you can't marry a man with the idea that you're going to change him into the man you want him to be. She was never able to change Victor or Brad or any other man in her life, so why is she intent on remaking Tucker? You would think that after all the hell she went through with Tucker, his nearly dying thanks to Abby's vehicular assault, followed by his brain injury and recovery, that Ashley would be satisfied with their relationship, but she's not.

I don't understand her standards for Tucker. She broke up with him once before when he admitted that he had slept with Diane -- which happened while he was still a bachelor -- and now she's ready to walk out on him again because he didn't tell her that he knew Genevieve years before. Do either of those transgressions seem that bad, all things considered? I agree that Tucker should be more upfront with Ashley, but -- come on -- has she been completely candid with him? She expects too much from him.

This is Tucker's first marriage, and he's not really good at it yet. Of course, based on the spoilers, there's going to be more trouble ahead for Tucker and Ashley, so that Abbott intervention can't come soon enough for her.

The last Abbott in need of an hour or two on the couch is Jack. Does he even know what he wants anymore? He was so desperate to get Jabot back that he was willing to do anything. But since reacquiring his father's company, he's done nothing. Yes, I realize that he's in a wheelchair, but he's left Ashley to run Jabot. He just occasionally yells at her about Beauty of Nature! That's right, Jack's still plotting to get Beauty of Nature, when he's not fooling around with Nikki and jumping in and out of physical therapy with Sarge. Does that sound like a man who's focused on the important things in life?

Jack's just so scattered. Yes, he should focus on walking again, but that's no reason why he can't handle Jabot, too. Why doesn't he go into the office? Or why hasn't he had the office brought to him? Leaving Ashley and Cane and Jill to do the work just seems wrong. Jack is not the kind of guy to stand on the sidelines and not be in charge of the business. Even this nonsense with the SEC doesn't ring true for Jack. If he manages to upset Genevieve's purchase of Beauty of Nature, that doesn't mean he's any closer to buying the company, does it? Jack should be more proactive, if you ask me.

It was good to see Billy out with Kyle, even though it's disturbing how quickly they aged Kyle. But Billy tangling with Victor is always enjoyable to watch. And Billy is completely entitled to despise Victor for what he did to Billy in Myanmar, letting him rot in prison on a trumped-up drug charge just to keep him out of Victoria's life. That was beyond cruel.

Victoria may still have a soft spot in her heart for Daddy, but Billy doesn't. Victor has repeatedly called Billy's newborn child, John, a bastard, so why on earth would Billy want Victor to be any part of the baby's life? Victoria needs to remember that Victor may be her father, but he's also been her enemy. He tried to destroy her marriage. He fought her in court. He had her arrested on her wedding day! Victoria can never truly let Victor back into her life. Never.

It might be wise for Nick to also remember that Victor cannot be trusted. Adam, too. So, last week Phyllis and Nick were in premarital bliss because she's pregnant. It's sweet. I like it...but I don't expect it to last. Phyllis will find a way to freak out about something, like the Sharon/Victor situation. And Nick will be frustrated with Phyllis. Happiness is always just a temporary deal for those two.

As for Adam, I'm curious about his and Chelsea's relationship. Are we really, really sure that Chelsea's still not in cahoots with Victor? Wouldn't it be just like Victor to use Chelsea to manipulate Adam in some way? Pretend to give her ten million dollars to leave town, but really use it as bait to trap Adam? After all, Victor does want Adam to lie to the SEC for him.

Genevieve also wants someone to lie to the SEC for her, only she's asked Tucker to be the patsy. I think Victor was correct when he said that Genevieve was seriously nave. She must be if she thinks Tucker would risk an arrest from the U.S. government to fulfill some teenage loyalty pledge he made to her. Genevieve doesn't have the faintest idea how to manage Beauty of Nature. In the time since she acquired the company, she nearly got herself arrested for bribing a government official, she tried to sell it to four different people, she made some kind of a deal with Victor that included sex, and yet it seems as though nothing has actually happened. And what about Nick and Sharon's cosmetics line? They have an exclusive with Mitsukoshi, but do they have any products to sell? I know; why worry about the details!

There were some little stories last week that received some play, like Kay and Murphy's anniversary. It was quite cloying and sentimental to see them back in the diner, acting all gooey. It might have been more meaningful if Murphy and Kay had any scenes together in the past few months.

Another story was Jill's phone call from Sydney from Philip. That'll get Jill out of town for a while, coinciding with Jess Walton taking a break from the show. It was plausible that she might go Down Under to see Philip and help him recover from knee surgery. However, you know that somehow, someway, Colin is going to get involved in that storyline because Tristan Rogers is due back on the soap.

Finally, there was the Gloworm bartender storyline. Carmine would seem to be sticking around for a while. Of course, if he gets the same kind of airtime they give the Eden character, he'll never have a storyline. Maria Arena Bell could benefit from some lessons in how to use more of the characters on the canvas! Seriously, give Victor a week off and concentrate on someone else.

So, that's it for now. I'm anxious to hear more from you all -- do you like the Two Scoops? What stories would you like to see "fixed," and what characters need a rewrite? Write me! Till then, let's take a look at a letter from the mailbox:

• Hi, Allison. Great article as always! I am so sick of Nikki running to Jack every time Victor does something she disapproves of. Nikki is no stranger to Victor's ways and her behavior is ridiculous. There is absolutely no chemistry between Nikki and Jack! Also, since when did Nikki become so high and mighty? She sounds like a jealous teenager when she talks about Genevieve! It's truly annoying! Just weeks ago, Nikki was a falling down drunk and now she has the nerve to have her nose up in the air and is looking down on Genevieve, Chelsea and everyone else in town? I'll be so glad when Kyle returns and gives Nikki hell! That should take her down a peg or two. I am also sick of Phyllis! I am anxiously waiting for that long-awaited reveal that Phyllis mowed down Paul and Christine with a rental car! I hope Maria Arena Bell does this right and does not let Phyllis off the hook! I won't be able to stomach everyone forgiving Phyllis for this atrocity! I can't wait to see Ricky bring Phyllis to her knees! Lauren is another one that is grating on my last nerve! I understand her fear of Daisy, but keeping Fen away from his family is wrong. What if Daisy never leaves GC? Will Fen have to stay in Canada until adulthood? Lastly, I wish Genevieve would get a clue about Jack Abbott! He is not worth all of this pain and misery! I thought that when Genevieve overheard Jack confessing his true intentions to Nikki that she would cancel the deal and tell Jack where to go and how to get there. Yet, she agrees to still go ahead and marry this loser? Ridiculous! C'mon, Genevieve, get a clue! Jack is just not that into you! -- Caroline

Best,Allison