The first domino falls, the rest follow

A romantic anniversary dinner for one couple! A chance of renewed love for another couple! And a crazy, magical music box that is more than it appears. All this and more in this week's Two Scoops.

Congratulations, The Young and the Restless, for being the number one soap for the past 25 years straight! That is a major accomplishment. If you think about it, many soaps have come and gone since December 26, 1988, but no matter the competition, Y&R has continued to dominate daytime television -- and for such a long time. My husband and I first started dating way back in 1988. That was eons ago.

Recently, Soap Central reported this momentous occasion, and I couldn't be more pleased. Soap operas are once again resurging in the ratings, as fans find themselves tuning in once more. Happily, our precious daytime serials still have plenty of life in them and don't appear to be "walking off into the sunset" just yet. (If soaps could walk, that is.) It is the fans who have kept them alive, as we have recently seen several soaps being renewed for multiple seasons.

I have always found soap operas to be somewhat therapeutic. When you are going through the worst period of your life and are too embarrassed or ashamed to talk to your friends or family, you can always turn to your extended soap family to get the understanding and support that you need. I have found that when I am going through a rough time, I can always find a character on one of my soaps that is dealing with something even worse. That would comfort me somehow.

I guess misery really does love company. Our soap characters are always there for us in our time of need and through thick and thin. Because of this, I never want my soaps to leave me -- ever!

So, what did happen on The Young and the Restless this week? Well, we still have Nikki trying to become acquainted with Dylan, as she tried to hold her marriage together. However, I don't think she has a lot to worry about when it comes to Victor. Yes, he was still upset that Nikki did not trust him enough to tell him that she had given birth to another child before she met him. But Victor loved Nikki enough to forgive her for that. The funny thing is that Nikki and Victor pretty much acknowledged that neither one of them trusted the other. That is a weird element to base your marriage on.

Sure, Nikki did not tell him about the details from Katherine's letter, but then again, Victor didn't tell Nikki about the contents in his letter from Katherine either. Good heavens, what do they have to talk to each other about? They don't tell each other about the most important things in their lives. You would think, in their time of need, that they would want to talk to the one they love the most.

So, what do they talk about when they are alone? The weather? The Eagles/Lions football game that was played in the deepest of snow drifts a couple of weeks ago? What? Oh wait, I know...their kids!

Victor is always planning his next strategy to manipulate his children, even as he constantly denies it to Nikki. Actually, sometimes he doesn't even bother to deny it. Most of the time, after Nikki pleads with Victor to stay out of their children's lives, he just grunts, says nothing, and then does what he wants anyway. Nikki should know by now that his silence is his way of saying, "Of course, I am going to do everything I can to mess with my children's relationships, so that they can be miserably alone forever." Maybe Victor should spend a little more time on his relationship with Nikki since he claims to love her so. I know that every relationship is different, but you would think they would need a stronger tie to each other than just their eternal conflicts over their children.

And Victor has already staked his claim on Nikki and has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to Dylan. He actually warned Dylan to stay away from Nikki now and for all time. Really?! Why are you so threatened, Victor? As a child that had grown up in the orphanage, as he so proudly flaunts every time he points out his success in business, you would think that Victor would be more understanding to someone who is still reeling from discovering the truth about his biological parents. Actually, Victor should consider himself lucky, since Dylan had no interest in getting to know Nikki anyway. But Victor's warning and future threats may just change Dylan's mind. You know, Victor probably would have gotten exactly what he wanted if he had just kept his mouth shut.

Even if Dylan would just as soon pretend that the truth of his parentage had never come out, Avery reminded him of it at every turn. She did her research (hey, that's the makings of a good attorney, after all) and handed Dylan her paperwork regarding his biological father, Ian Ward, a.k.a. "the man with no morals, no honor" and "the man who lies and takes advantage of innocent people without a second thought." Gee, it's no wonder that he wants nothing to do with dear old biological dad.

In the meantime, Paul and Christine seemed to have their own trust issues after Christine realized that Paul had kept Nikki's long-lost child a secret from her. Ummm...could secrets be a reason why so many couples in Genoa City are struggling in their marriages? Can you have a secure relationship with the one you love without trust? I do have to admit that Nikki's secret wasn't Paul's to tell though. I guess I can overlook that particular secret. Luckily, Christine saw Paul's actions as those of the man that she had fallen in love with. Awww... How sweet!

Another couple who had a pleasant moment together was Lauren and Michael during their anniversary celebration. I loved those flashbacks! They were such a gorgeous couple then, and they still are now. I especially appreciated the "Marry me" marked cards! No wonder they can still talk about it to this day. I would never forget a proposal like that.

So, while they tried to get past the "pain, stress, and unyielding anxiety" that they had over Fen, Michael declared that his gift to Lauren would be to have her family safe and returned home to her. They then learned that Fen would be released from prison in two days. What a wonderful gift!

But will "Mouse" ever be able to rid himself of Womack, even with Fen on the outside? Fen feared for his life and believed that he was a marked man, no matter if he was out or was returned back to prison, since the prisoners knew that his father was the former district attorney. It's rather surprising that it took the prisoners so long to discover that little tidbit, especially since Michael was in the very same prison. Y&R fan Mary Ann remarked about accuracy of the prison scenes:

One of the things I was glad to see was when Fen got terrorized by the other inmates last week and they revealed that they knew he was the son of the former D.A.? My sister was a nurse at one of the locale correctional facilities some years ago and the inmates always seemed to know the gossip, scuttlebutt and who was coming before most of the staff did.? This was why we found it hard to believe that no one would not have guessed that Fen was Michael's son.? I was glad that Y&R addressed it.? However, I also believe that if they wanted to get even with Michael, they would have either beat up Fen while holding Michael down making him watch it, or raped Fen making Michael watch it.? This may seem gruesome, but in my opinion, I think it would be much more accurate than how they are playing out this dumb storyline.? Many years ago, on As the World Turns, I seem to remember Margo getting raped by some thugs when they learned she was a cop and they had her go through the struggles of a rape victim.? I believe that the show is missing a huge storyline here for the Baldwins and Fen not to mention bring awareness to controversial topics as they have done in the past, in this case, prison rape, which everyone knows goes on but people would rather ignore it.

It seems that the writers may have really missed the boat with this storyline. Nobody has been pleased with it, but there was still time to make it worthwhile. The opportunity was there, but possibly the writers backed off after killing off Delia at such a young and tender age. Or maybe they were afraid that soap fans would accuse them of rewriting Michael's rape storyline from General Hospital. Who knows the reason, if there even is one.

Besides, it doesn't look like all of the sweetness and light is going to last long for this loving couple anyway. Lauren kept getting those pesky "unknown caller" hang-up calls, which put a slight damper on their festivities. Why do I have a strong suspicion that this caller could be a very-much-alive Carmine Basco? That fateful and fatal night, Paul learned that Carmine's autopsy had been done quickly before the night was over by someone other than the regular medical examiner. That certainly sounds suspicious to me.

It sounds like a cover-up, but who would want to cover up that Carmine is still alive, if he is? Paul, you are right...this is another piece to what seems to be a never-ending puzzle. Y&R fan Dayzee agreed with my opinion about Carmine's fate and shared her point of view:

The whole Carmine storyline was somewhat predictable with him stalking Lauren and trying to break up her marriage.? The Fen and Michael confessions are beyond unbelievable as is that Fen would be able to wear that stupid hat in prison.? Also, just who did he and Michael think they were fooling when they talked in the exercise yard, no one would notice they both ended up at the fence all the time, this whole storyline has been unbelievable and mishandled and I so hope it ends sooner rather than later.? As I said before, I don't think Carmine is dead, he continues to stalk Lauren.

Moving on, Chelsea left Connor with Chloe to run an errand. (I don't exactly remember why she left, but was that really important?) When she returned home, Chloe and baby were long gone. At least, that's how it appeared. Unfortunately, Chloe had just taken a restless Connor out for a drive to calm him. Does anyone else think that this might have been a better story if Chloe had actually kidnapped Connor? Y&R fan Timothy said:

I knew Chloe was going to take Connor and it makes total sense. This is the only thing left of DD alive plus her eyes are looking up at Chloe from Connor's body. People with organ transplants often connect with their donor or donor family. The other thing I see happening is Adam coming forward and Billy freaking out and getting thrown in jail for assault. This is where the [show] will switch Billy Miller for David Tom.

It seems to me that a kidnapping would have been the more intense and riveting storyline, and it would have been totally understandable. I mean, Chloe is obviously having a tough time dealing with her darling daughter's death, and she constantly refuses to seek help. The indications were that she was becoming obsessed over Connor, enough to actually take him. Unfortunately, the writers didn't go there. Such a shame!

At least Chelsea was determined to have a happy first Christmas for Connor, with all of the trimmings. There was something even about a gingerbread house and a blow-up Rudolph, which almost sounded a little kinky. Adam sure appears to still be very much in love with Chelsea. It's the way he looks at her and speaks to her. You know how other people can see how someone looks at you with a lingering gaze, even if you can't see it for yourself? Could Adam and Chelsea be the next super-couple that we all have been waiting for? I would watch that!

I absolutely love that Adam and Chelsea are trying to find their way back together. We have seen that they have that hot passion for each other, however, they really should take it slowly to build a strong, solid foundation of love, trust, and even friendship. Of course, that might be a little difficult, since Adam still believed that he hit Delia with his car. I just hope that isn't true!

But Adam realized that while he can never wipe his slate of bad deeds clean, he can try to do positive deeds to balance it all out. (In this case, anonymously setting up the Scholarship for Children in Crisis in Delia's name.) Adam believed that he and Chelsea were possible again as a couple, and I hope to see that happen. Y&R fan Dayzee added:

I like Adam and Chelsea together, but I liked them when they were married before Y & R broke up all the happy couples.? I hope that they will get back together with Connor and I think we will see a really different Adam.

I totally agree, Dayzee! I believe that Adam has always wanted a happy life surrounded by a family that he adores. He sure never got that from the Newmans. Adam so obviously cherishes Connor, and I have always thought that he still loves Chelsea. All of his actions, even after he learned of Chelsea's deception, showed, loud and clear, he still feels so deeply for her. Adam and Chelsea's first marriage was surrounded with a positive aura, and this could happen again. We need our happy couples!

Again, my plea to Billy Miller...please, Billy, don't go! Sorry, I just can't help myself. I seriously don't want him to leave. My television screen is going to seem much emptier without him on it during Y&R time. I am a little comforted knowing that other fans feel exactly the same way. Y&R fan Monique expressed her sentiments about Billy Miller's departure and other topics:

I have been a faithful fan of Y&R for over 40 years and I am so disappointed that you could not accommodate Billy Miller's wishes...the show won't be the same...I am sorry but I don't think anyone else can play the storyline of Delia's death so well as him...it truly is real...he is an amazing actor...you feel his feelings and thoughts as you watch it ...on another topic...I am still hoping that it is not Adam who accidentally killed Delia...I know the evidence is there and that he needed something to make him good again but to watch him go through his guilt, you can't help feeling sorry for him...and congrats on the exceptional way you paid tribute to the wonderful Jeanne Cooper, it was well done..

It is true that the Jeanne Cooper special and Katherine's memorial made for remarkable viewing and were each a wonderful way to pay tribute to such a gracious lady. (A reminder to all: the "Best and Worst of the Year" Two Scoops columns are coming up and my Best and Worst Y&R column will be next week. These particular episodes did, in fact, make one of my lists. Guess which list. Give up? Please read Two Scoops next week to find out!)

Back to Billy...Victoria learned that Kelly is more intertwined in Billy's life than she had thought when Victoria and Billy searched for a preschool for Johnny. Billy did explain to her that he could see that Kelly had once been in the same hellhole that he was in and that she had been able to climb out of it. Later, as hard as Billy tried, he just could not plaster on a fake smile and pretend to enjoy Christmas for the sake of his wife and son. Billy felt more at home with Kelly than being in his own house, and that's a scary thing. As much as Billy loves Victoria, I am not sure that their marriage will survive Delia's death, especially now that he and Kelly will be hitting the bars together.

Leave it to Victoria to have me in tears again! When she told Billy that she did not need a tree or any presents, she only needed Billy, my eyes welled up once more. Victoria sure has the worst of it, trying to do anything she can to help her husband but failing at every turn to provide the help that he so badly needs. Billy loves Victoria, but she is not what he needs to get through his sorrow and pain. Victoria has been so patient and loving, but it just doesn't appear to be enough. And that is the saddest thing of all.

I will agree with Tyler that Abby sure was looking for a reason to be mad at him after they returned from their trip to Los Angeles. She deliberately misconstrued that he had referred to her as an "ice queen" and that he had called her a slut. That poor guy just couldn't win. Tyler was savvy enough to figure out that Abby was frightened of something going wrong down the road in their relationship, and I can understand that. My husband and I went through similar emotions when we first start dating all those eons ago.

I believe I was the first one who almost bailed out of fear, but my (future) husband was able to comfort me and to remind me that nothing in life is guaranteed. The very next time, he was the one to panic, and I handed his words right back to him when I said that I intended to give us a chance. And here we are, 25 years later, still together. Abby, if you don't take that chance, you may never find the special relationship that may be waiting just around the corner. That would be such a shame because you may be missing out on the best thing that has ever happened in your entire life. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice. (But not you, Billy. Stay away from those dice!)

Abby and Tyler still make for a cute couple, but Abby has been using Mariah as a roadblock in taking their relationship to the next step. At least, Tyler hung in there, and Abby apologized later for "freaking out." I have a feeling Tyler will be visited by Mariah sooner rather than later, so then he will have the chance to prove to Abby that she is the one for him. Or not. Y&R fan Dee had a comment regarding this pair:

Why so much talk all of a sudden about Tyler and Abby and their different races?? Not one word has been said about Cane and Lily who have been on the show for years without acknowledgement of their different races.? I say let it alone because if it's not handled carefully, the fallout could be enormous.? By the way, I join the outcry about the release of Billy Miller.? He's the best actor on the show and owns the Billy Abbot role.? What a loss!

See, everyone is sad about Billy leaving! Well, almost everyone. From Y&R fan Del, "Glad to hear 'Billy' is leaving -- his acting was becoming unbearable -- he just went on and on and on.? Looking forward to seeing David Tom again.? Perhaps this will improve that storyline." To each his own, I guess.

I think that the talk about Tyler and Abby and their different races had really to do more with Victor's non-reaction to it -- or to anything else regarding this couple. That is pretty surprising for Victor who never needs a reason to interfere in any of his kids' lives or relationships. Victor has absolutely no real connection to Cane and Lily. And speaking of Cane and Lily...

Haven't we all, the characters and the fans, already been through enough sadness this past year without Lily having to go through another cancer scare? Thankfully, we learned that her MRI was clean and that she had no lesions. But she will need to do testing again in another month, which indicates that there could be a recurrence. I know that it's good for Lily and Cane fans to have them front and center again, but can't it be for a happy occasion, just once?

Cane and Lily are one of the few remaining couples that have a chance to be happy. Most of the other ones are still locked into grief right now. So, please, let Cane and Lily be happy. Let someone be happy. Anyone. All this sadness and depression is getting to be too much.

The humor of the week came with Jill and Hilary on the elevator. I loved the banter between them. Jill didn't want to be dragged down into the gutter with Hilary, who felt that Jill did not give second chances. Funny stuff! When Jill brought out her music box, Hilary reminisced that she had cherished one with a twirling ballerina as a child. Her desire had been to take dance lessons, but her dad had been arrested, so there had been "no money, no lessons, no nothing." Hilary apparently had this sort of thing in common with Jill.

However, Jill believed that Hilary was trying to worm her way into Jill's good graces and declared that they were not "twinsies." Who knew that Hilary would be the next step in Jill's adventure? After Jill revealed that she had listed the box on an online auction site for a nickel, she noted that she had actually received an offer of $10.25. Hilary saw that the amount was the same as the date on the music box. Coincidence? I think not.

Jill then schemed with Jack to take Victor down, brick by brick, and her plan was to start with Bonaventure Industries, which happened to be the very Newman subsidiary that Cane had asked Victor to put more money into. This floundering biotech division performs the medical research that gives people a chance to survive diseases such as cancer. Jill's plot was to sabotage the company by spreading the word that the division engaged in unethical practices by doing shoddy research and pushing dangerous drugs in their human trials. Really, Jill? Of all the companies out there, you pick one that exists for a worthwhile cause? That's not only terrible, it's pretty darn tacky.

Jill also whined to Jack about the paltry bequest that was her music box and declared that she had rid herself of it through an online auction. Jill insisted that her attitude was all "butterflies and rainbows." (I like that phrase.) Upon her arrival home, she found a package and opened it to find her music box. Jill just can't rid of that thing!

It has to be magical for it to keep turning up literally at her door. Katherine and obviously fate meant for Jill to have that box. What secrets does the music box contain, and why was Katherine so insistent that Jill have it? Hmmm... and since Tristan Rogers is returning as Colin. I wonder if he has something to do with this.

Hilary later ran into Sharon, who talked of getting past all of the lies and deception. But, of course, she wasn't referring to herself, she was speaking of Nick, whom she stressed had not meant to deceive anyone about Summer. Sharon indirectly made it very clear that she had no intention of ever telling the truth, as she believed it to be. Later, Nick complimented Sharon's recovery, while Sharon acknowledged that Nick did not deserve what had happened...yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. Do you think that Nick will actually give Sharon another chance?

Did anyone else think that Sharon looked like one of Batman's nemeses, Catwoman, in her sleek, black outfit during the photo shoot? Put some kitty ears on her, and she could have passed for the Caped Crusader's feline villain. Holy dead ringers, Batman! (On a side note: my favorite Catwoman was the statuesque Julie Newmar. Let the debate continue!)

Even if Nick couldn't swing it as the lead member of the Dynamic Duo, at least Supergirl was on hand to protect the community! And speaking of Summer...beware of models handing out gifts of "pick-me-ups." Danger and drugs may be on the horizon for our young heroine! (No pun intended -- you know, heroine and heroin. Oh, never mind.)

Sharon also needs to beware because Cassie has returned! I just hope that Cassie will use her loving powers for good rather than for evil this time. (I just can't get off the crime-fighting kick now.) And it appears that just may be the case, since Cassie warned her mother that Sharon needed to tell Nick the truth about Phyllis and about Summer's paternity test results. It's about time! Is it possible that this storyline could move forward before the year is out? Will the truth prevent Nick and Sharon from possibly reuniting?From Y&R fan Kimberly:

I have been a fan of Sharon and Nick and their marriage ever since the young couple we [knew] so many years ago. However, I have lost respect for both.? Sharon is on her meds but won't come clean about switching the paternity test (even when she lets Summer cry on her shoulder) and Nick is bullying Dylan just like his father bullies everyone else.? Villains are fun, but we need our supercouples too!

This is true. Sharon is on her meds and is rational now, so why won't she tell the truth? Because she knows that she will never get Nick back if she does, that's why! Apparently, being rational does not equate to being honest. But maybe Sharon really wants to tell the truth, since Cassie has returned to try to convince her. Because Cassie is only a symptom of Sharon's illness, that would appear to be the case.

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

The holiday spirit is definitely being displayed all throughout Genoa City, from the cheery Christmas background music in the restaurant to those cute little snowman mugs in the coffee house. Those mugs are adorable!

So, Courtney's parents were away for the holidays, and Summer learned that the Zach, who had been texting Courtney, is one of Courtney's family? Courtney does seem to have some skeletons in the closet, especially since she ran to Raven to purchase more drugs.

Jack fired Devon from Jabot Cosmetics so that Devon could search for his passion. The only problem was that Devon had no idea what his passion was. Apparently, music isn't it. So Devon's dalliance in the music world appears to be over. Too bad. Oh well, Devon did seem to lose interest in music once Tucker left.

Riding on the elevator, Jill and Hilary both had the funniest lines of the week: Jill exclaimed, "I'll bet your favorite part of the day is sharpening pencils...so good for back-stabbing," to which Hilary retorted, "I use pens. They're permanent." These lines had me laughing out loud!

Didn't the Crimson Lights robot look festive dressed as Santa?

How adorable that Neil wants to marry Leslie. Could they be the couple to have a happily-ever-after? It appears that we may have to wait until Christmas to find that out.

I love Victor's phraseology. When referring to Victoria's feelings about Dylan, Victor expressed that it "warmed the cockles of my heart." I remember on Three's Company when Ralph Furley used that expression and talked of having nothing left but "cold cockles" if the kids were to move out. I have loved that expression ever since.

It was great to see Neil supporting Jack after Jack almost stumbled on his road to remain sober. Even though Jack had felt that it would be easier once he got clean, Neil pointed out that his addiction would always be an ongoing struggle. This is a fact for any addict and "cheers" (oops, sorry!) to the Y&R writers for reminding us of that.

Abby was terrific when she referred to herself as Abby "damn" Newman who had men falling at her feet. Good for her. She needs to remain confident in her relationship with Tyler. I think he loves her strength of character.

Chloe and Kevin spoke of having a date complete with corndogs and miniature golf. Delia would have loved that!

Although Victoria pleaded with her father to celebrate the holidays with compassion and love, Victor was unable to come up with any kind of compassion for either Billy or Jack. He was cruel when he tormented Jack about the pills and drink. Come on, Victor! It's the season for love and joy. Oh yeah, we are talking about Victor.

Well, that is it for now. Next week begins the Best and the Worst Two Scoops columns for the year, which always promise to be fun and entertaining. Due to holiday commitments, Boone and I will switch for those two weeks only, and I will present my favorite and not-so-favorite moments from the past year next week. Boone will offer her best and worst column the following week, and then we will resume where we left off at the beginning of 2014.

I can tell you that I have always enjoyed reading the best and worst columns from all the Two Scoopers, and I have truly appreciated their insight. Since I continue to watch all the remaining soaps airing -- The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless -- I love reading what the columnists have to say were the highlights and the lowlights during the year. Whether I agree or disagree, I enjoy going down memory lane again, especially when I read about instances that I had totally forgotten about.

Since this will be my first time to write a best and worst column, I will take pleasure in selecting what I believed were the most engaging stories to watch and to also pick out what I felt were the worst of the year. Please offer your comments or opinions on my choices, or feel free to share what you liked -- or hated -- from the past year's events. I shall look forward to reading any and all of your views regarding the happenings in Genoa City during 2013.

Happy holidays, and until next time, please stay tuned.

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