Chilled by the guilt in my heart (and the arctic blast)

Guilt plagued several characters as they tried to move on with their lives. A father threatened to destroy his son to gain access to his grandson. And then there's that crazy, mysterious music box! All this and lies, secrets, and deceit (oh my!) on Two Scoops.

While the nation was chilled to the bone by an arctic blast -- otherwise known as a polar vortex -- The Young and the Restless fans were also chilled to the heart by ongoing reports concerning Michael Muhney's firing. As reported by Soap Central, reports have surfaced that Mr. Muhney was fired due to allegations of misconduct. In response, Mr. Muhney only quoted Ben Franklin and said, "Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see."

Since none of us were privy to what really happened, it's not our place to speculate.

In a year where the Young and the Restless has had so much upheaval and so many changes, it seems like yet another black eye for a show that just celebrated 25 consecutive years as the most-watched soap.

Who would have thought that the behind-the-scenes storylines would be so much more interesting than what the soap has to offer these days? It's rather ironic, if you think about it. Some fans have been pretty ugly about it all on the message boards of various websites, and no actor would ever want that kind of publicity. It doesn't sound like the fans have been silenced at all. I just don't see where this kind of publicity is helping the show. I am pretty disgusted with the whole way this has been handled, whether the accusations are true or not.

Sadly, this behind-the-scenes story has also tarnished the Adam and Chelsea storyline, which has developed into quite the romance. I was truly looking forward to seeing Adam and Chelsea repair their relationship and find their love for each other again. Finally, we had some romance, and now we all know that it will be very short-lived. I had a reason to really want to watch again, after all of the sadness and despair, and now I can't enjoy this at all, since I have an idea of what is coming.

No happily-ever-after for Adam, Chelsea, and Connor. I guess it was too much to expect for any Y&R soap character to be happy, enjoying his life with his loved ones for a change. And for Adam to finally find the family that he had so secretly longed for. I know that Adam's fans have to be truly disappointed. I don't even consider myself one of Adam's fans, and I'm not the least bit satisfied either.

I guess there are rumors out there that Adam may return in two or three months, played by another actor. Hey, they could always bring back Chris Engen, who originated the role. Remember...Engen abruptly left the role when he believed that the writers were taking Adam down a dark direction by making him appear to be gay. Engen refused to let Adam kiss Rafe Torres, even though that was just Adam's way of manipulating Rafe. (Wow, I wonder what ever happened to Rafe.) Though if the fans have their way -- $750 flying banner and all -- Michael Muhney will return.

Anyway, while a wedding between Adam and Chelsea seemed to loom in the near future, happiness does not appear to be their destiny. And Victor was going to make sure of that once he learned that Adam appeared to be the hit-and-run driver of little Delia. Paul was very suspicious when Victor questioned him about the maximum punishment, which would be 25 years in prison or less and a fine. But somehow, I doubt if Paul will catch on to the reason why. Of course, Victor wanted to use the information for leverage against Adam so that he could gain access to his grandson, Connor.

However, Chelsea really has other things to worry about, even if she doesn't know it yet. Kevin discovered Chloe's obsession with Connor ran deeper than anyone realized when he found Delia's baby book that had also become Connor's baby book. Chelsea had better hide her son! What is really worrisome is that Chloe then ended it with Kevin, who was probably the only person who can get through to her in her sorrow and grief.

Chloe sure showed her true colors even more when she learned that Adam and Chelsea had made Jack the legal joint guardian with Chelsea over Connor, in case something happened to Adam. "He's supposed to be mine!" Chloe's declaration indicated that Kevin was absolutely right to be concerned. I don't think that their explanation that Jack would be a safety net to protect Connor from Victor soothed Chloe at all. Adam and Chelsea are ignoring the red flags that Chloe keeps tossing in their faces. They should be more than a little alarmed by her behavior.

Between Chloe and Victor, Adam and Chelsea don't really stand a chance. An uninvited Victor crashed the christening and quickly learned from Chloe that Jack would be next in line as Connor's legal guardian. And a shocked Chelsea watched as Adam let his father take and hold her son. Chelsea had believed that they had finally escaped Victor's smothering clutches only to learn that Victor still pulled all of their strings. The only way Adam could explain would be to tell Chelsea the truth. But how could he? Would Chelsea ever forgive him for keeping quiet about his suspicions that he might have accidentally hit and killed her best friend's child?

My biggest sorrow at this time, however, does not concern Adam and Chelsea but is totally all about Billy. Since Billy Miller joined the soap, Billy Abbott has been my favorite character, and that is all because of Mr. Miller's remarkable acting. I take no joy now in watching the scenes with Billy because I know that he will also be gone after January 30th. With Billy Miller's departure goes my favorite pairing of Billy and Victoria too.

The chemistry between this couple, since Victoria picked up a drunken Billy out of the street gutter on that fateful New Year's Eve, has been off the charts, and I will miss seeing them together. This is sincerely a huge blow for me personally! And for my mother, also, who loves them as a couple. We are both going to feel a little lost without them.

Now, I have to wonder why the powers that be at Y&R will bend over backwards to work around Steve Burton's schedule, but they could not compromise to give multiple Daytime Emmy winner Billy Miller his "outs" so that he could do other projects, as he has been doing these past several years. Mr. Miller seemed to make himself available enough last year. I never noticed his absence on-screen. I guess I don't get why Y&R would not do pretty much anything to keep such a popular actor for such a beloved character. If ABC and General Hospital were smart, they would snap him up. My mother has already told me that even my sister, whose only soap is Y&R, would start watching GH if that were to happen. We are big fans, Billy Miller!

To add insult to injury, Billy Miller's Billy Abbott had to cheat on Victoria one more time before Mr. Miller left. Do we fans never get a break?! Couldn't we have had understanding, love, and romance (minus the cheating) between these two before he left? I don't know what is up with Kelly, who claimed to know that Billy loves Victoria. It's almost like Kelly wanted Victoria to learn the truth about their fling. Why? So Victoria can be as miserable as Kelly?

It's easy for Kelly to hold their one-night stand over Billy's head, since he has been so eaten away by guilt. But Kelly had seemed to target Billy from the get-go. Why? Did she have something to do with Delia's death as some have suspected? At least, after she saw a happy Victoria and Johnny together, she had enough sense to finally feel guilty about what she had done. It took that for her to realize that Billy had a family as he keeps reminding her?

I could not believe that Victoria felt guilty about bringing Johnny down. She is going way overboard on the understanding wife stint. And it won't help if Billy, who will be spearheading the Delia Project, works hand in hand, on a daily basis, with Kelly. In the meantime, Victoria seemed to be getting closer to Stitch. And then Billy discovered that Adam was the anonymous donor to the Delia Project.

Oh my! All of this points to trouble for Billy and Victoria and their marriage. We all know how Billy will react once he learns who killed his daughter. His discovery about the donor is just another step closer to Billy learning the truth about that horrible tragic night.

I couldn't help but notice that the name Kelly White was listed above Adam's name on the black SUV list. Y&R fan Chelsey also saw it:

Was Kelly White the name of the woman that came into GCPD and first identified the hit-and-run vehicle as a dark SUV?? She had been at the same convenient store.? Perhaps she was diverting attention from herself.

I did some research through the recaps and was reminded that the name of the woman Chelsey asked about was actually Laura McCleary. I am wondering about the Miss Kelly who just had a fling with Billy. Sure, I know that Kelly is going by the last name of Andrews now and that Stitch's last name is Rayburn. But was that always the case? Was it just a coincidence that the name Kelly happened to be above Adam's name on the list, or did Kelly Andrews go by another last name at the time the vehicle was registered? I might really be able to get into this mystery if Billy Miller weren't leaving. Maybe I still can. I know that I am grieving -- and he hasn't even left yet!

And speaking of Stitch, Y&R fan Timothy offered comments about him and Ashley as well as about Adam and Jack:

It's good to see such friends in Jack and Adam. I really like those two being buddies but it doesn't add up. Adam did to Ashley what ANY brother would never forgive. It just doesn't make sense that Jack would overlook that. Maybe when Jack finds out Adam "Killed" Delia, he will finally open his eyes. The other thing about Jack and Adam, I realize Ashley pops in and out of the show now but why doesn't she ever question Jack's betrayal in him being such pals with Adam? I realize she is busy at Days but Ashley could really hit it off with Stitch if she stuck around AND somehow sink her teeth into Jabot business. Oh yeah, she can also flirt with Victor and be there when Abby's heart is undoubtedly going to be broke!

Actually, Timothy, Eileen Davidson is done filming for Days of Our Lives as Kristen, so we may be seeing more of Ashley on Y&R. That is a good thing for Y&R fans (although not so much for DAYS fans). And I have heard rumors that she may be paired up with Stitch in the future -- if Victoria and Stitch don't become an item first. It would be interesting to see where an Ashley/Stitch pairing would go, especially since he seems to have a shady past, and Kelly may have been a factor in that. Still, I most certainly welcome Ashley's return!

As far as Jack's friendship with Adam and what Adam had done to Ashley and Faith in the past, for some reason, that all seems to have been totally forgotten. I doubt if Ashley gets too much in her brother's business anyway. Jack has seen the way that Victor has treated his son, Adam, and that bonds Jack with Adam, I think. Jack sees Adam as nobody else does. Jack realizes that Adam has a heart, as much as Adam prefers not to show it. I don't know how Delia's storyline will play out, but if Adam is proven to be the hit-and-run driver, I think that Jack would realize that he did not hit her deliberately. Jack knows that he himself is flawed, so he tries not to judge the flaws in others.

Another storyline that seriously has possibilities would be Jill's music box, but I fear that won't be the fun adventure that it could be. I have a feeling that Colin's return could mar a story that might have been enjoyable to watch. Again, don't get me wrong -- I enjoy watching Tristan Rogers as an actor and am looking forward to his return as Colin. But I had hoped that Jill's music box adventure would be just that...an adventure, especially after she announced to Kevin that an antiques dealer had declared that it has once been owned by someone famous. That would have been a bold undertaking with fun, frolic, and even more mystery. However, instead, we have Jill being abducted and then later handcuffed to a bed. That does not bode well for Jill or the story.

At least Tyler and Abby continued to be happy and in love as they made plans to move in together. They should thank their lucky stars that Victor has been so distracted by Adam and Adam's threat to keep Connor from Victor that dear Vic hasn't had time to interfere in their relationship yet. And Mariah is still lurking around, also, so drama is surely headed Tyler and Abby's way. Y&R fan Tim approves of this young couple.

Y&R is at its best! I am loving the Tyler and Abby story. What a great couple. I would love to see more of them. I still believe that Tom Pelphrey should be added to the cast. Maybe as Scottie or Kyle. I think they should get Jamie Luner or Morgan DeWitt to play Phyllis if Ms. Stafford is no longer available. I am still confused about the Rose and Gus story. I wish they will clear that up.? Even though the Devon and Hilary [story] is leading up to romance, I was thinking that Y&R would put a twist with a gay relationship between Devon and Mason.? They seemed more interesting then Devon and Hilary. I really believe that Y&R should bring Bold and Beautiful character Felicia, Lesli Kay, to the canvas, since BB doesn't have much use for her. Could be a love interest for Jack or even Nick.

Y&R would benefit from any of these talented actors. I am not sure what the writers have in store for Mason yet. They may be writing him into a corner with the identity theft thing. You are probably right, Tim, about Devon and Hilary, though, and I am uncertain that this pairing would be such a good idea. I am not so sure that Hilary has been redeemed yet in the fans' eyes.

Finally, some great news! Lily is 100% cancer free. Now, that is something we can all smile about. And Devon had some news of his own: the charges against him in Las Vegas have been dropped. Okay, that may not be on the same level as Lily's cancer-free news, but it's good news nonetheless. Neil and Leslie joined in the celebration. After the media barged in with cameras flashing, Lily suggested that Devon buy the Athletic Club.

Could that be Devon's destiny? Katherine left him her money for a reason, and Jack had earlier suggested that Devon needed to find his own path to happiness. Maybe this is the road that Devon should take. And apparently, he wanted to take Cane and Lily along for the ride because he hired both the trustworthy and experienced Cane, who understands the bottom line, to crunch the numbers and to develop Devon's business plan and the organized, creative, and passionate Lily to be his manager over the day-to-day operations. Since Cane and Lily were looking for a project to work on together, this appeared, as Lily put it, "meant to be."

Lily's first order of business was to kick Hilary out of the Athletic Club, but Devon defended Hilary and pleaded with her to stay. Well, Lily, at least it must have felt great to be able to boot her boney butt out of there. Yes, I do believe that Tim is correct that Devon and Hilary are leading up to a romance, but so far, Mason doesn't look to be playing a part in that picture. The gay idea would have been an interesting twist though.

Or maybe Hilary has her eye on Jack. They sure were pretty chummy at the Athletic Club. I had to laugh when Sharon noted that at least Jack was less ruthless than the other town mogul. That is so true. I tend to think that Jack will not end up being Hilary's next victim though -- only her boss. My guess is that this is the writers' way to redeem Hilary more by giving her a friend who will support her. Surely, we fans will forgive her now, right?

Much to Nikki's chagrin, Dylan went to Idaho to try to retrieve information about his biological father, Ian Ward. Ian's wife, Willa, explained that New World started out as a group who had only wanted to spread the word of peace and happiness, but as the group had grown, they had lost sight of their dream. Okay. Although Nikki referred to Ian as a manipulator, Willa had only seen that he had a good heart. So, who is the real Ian Ward? It seems we will find out soon enough, since we all know that Ian will continue to play a big part in this drama, since the show heavily promoted actor Ray Wise's hiring.

The question is do we really care? We have been watching so many of our favorites leave, while new characters continue to be ushered in. I really don't mind Dylan being Nikki's son as long as the show doesn't suddenly become all about him. I truly thought that Steve Burton would be a positive addition to the soap, and I only hope that I don't regret his residency in Genoa City. I do think the writers should liven Dylan up though. He still seems to be a little bland. But maybe that's just me.Regardless of whether Summer is Nick's biological daughter or not, Nick had it right when he told Sharon that he had turned his back on Sharon when she had needed him most. Even if the facts about Summer's paternity change, that fact will not. Sure, Nick admitted that he was to blame for hurting everyone, and that will remain the same even if Sharon did alter the paternity test results in the hospital lab.However, if Sharon did indeed change the lab results then she was the one who messed with fate, not Nick. Strangely enough (and against popular opinion), except for the huge lie part, I would not be against this version -- you know, the more rational, not wacko version -- of Sharon reuniting with Nick. I am a sucker for a love story, and these two first fell in love when they were so very young. It would be pretty romantic if they could work their way back to each other and fall in love again.

But then there's that pesky little lie. That's if Sharon actually did mess with the results and it had not all been a delusion due to her mental illness. That would certainly put the brakes on any chance of romance they might have. The truth needs to comes out sooner or later. It's already dragged out too long!

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

At one time, it was unheard of for any soap character to show their tattoos on-screen, but now it appears to be the norm. Lily was another character to be seen sporting a tattoo on her wrist and lower arm. Apparently, Mariah is not the only gal to be carrying some ink. I can remember when actors had to hide their tattoos with makeup. Things do change.

When Adam left to buy some champagne, he jumped into his black Range Rover SUV and found Victor in the passenger seat. Adam asked, "Need a ride, Miss Daisy?" I love that movie! Let's see -- Adam as Hoke and Victor as Miss Daisy. Uhhh...I don't think so.

What irony! After Victor informed Adam about the eyewitness who had seen Adam as the hit-and-run driver, Adam replied, "No need to respond to a completely unfounded accusation."

When the media hounded Devon at the Athletic Club, he remarked, "I'm really tired of those guys coming in here like they own the place." He learned quickly that your life can immediately change as a result of the media's words and actions.

It sounds like Christel Khalil had a cold. But the show must go on, especially in the soap world. Illnesses cannot exist!

Wow, Cassie's birthday already! Too bad she's still not here to grace us with her physical (not spiritual) presence.

Summer wasn't joking when she indicated to Noah that having Courtney move in would invite in some "really bad karaoke." She's not kidding. Courtney's singing in the shower was horrible!

So, according to Courtney, Zach is trying to get clean, so he gave her all of his pills. Yeah, right! I wonder if she is really a "narc," or shall we say a confidential informant acting for Alex? Oh, wait a minute. Her name is Vera? And Alex is Zach? Who are these two, really, and what is their connection to each other?

So, Kevin was immediately put back on Delia's case after George Hawkins described the hit-and-run driver as a slim male with a thin face whose license plate number started with a "G"? The PCPD doesn't see that Kevin is still too close to the case even though Chloe broke up with him? I would prefer to believe that they are blinding themselves to that because Kevin's skills are just too good for them to ignore. Kevin had to battle a frozen hourglass and no license plates beginning with the letter "G." I am sure he will find the answer soon.

At the Underground, Nick told Victor that his dad could not lose Adam because he was already a lost cause and then labeled Adam a sociopath. Come on, Nick, don't whitewash it. Tell us how you really feel.

Chloe was on a roll again this week. First, she related to Chelsea, "Every time you get all mushy about Adam, a unicorn loses its horn." Later, at the christening, after Adam and Chelsea announced to Jack that they would marry, Chloe replied, "So, do I speak now or do I wait for the ceremony?" As obnoxious as she can be, Chloe does have great one-liners!

Victoria likes to jog in January in Wisconsin?? Brrrrr! Especially since the notorious polar vortex just hit!

I loved Billy's line, "At any rate, it's just another well-intentioned person who wants me to forget about the death of my kid and move on with my life." That pretty much sums it up for you, Billy.

Fans, I ask you to think about where Y&R was a year ago today. Look back on all of the changes that have taken place since then. It's very sad and discouraging to see that we still had Katherine, Phyllis, and Delia, and the future still promised to have Adam and Billy Miller's Billy. While losing Katherine was unavoidable -- you cannot recast a legend -- it seems that the loss of Phyllis and Delia was too much, and now we will have to go through even more loss. Will we ever start to gain instead of always losing? Why not bring back loved ones that can get us excited again? Ashley is a great start, so let's add on to that. The show is becoming almost unrecognizable from a year ago. Y&R fan Jean agreed:

This soap was my all time favorite,? I had even met some of the cast at a book signing.? I loved Josh Morrow, Christian LaBlanc, John McCook, not so much Melody Scott and Mrs. Bell, but I digress.? I cannot watch this soap anymore because the stories are so hard to watch.? Sharon switching Summer's paternity. Nikki's new son Dylan, Avery, Hilary, Devon, the whole Winter's family are so boring. Michael and Lauren and Fen ugh.? Billy Miller leaving and Michael Muhney's firing, are pretty much going to cement the end of this soap for me.? Jeanne Cooper's passing just made me so sad, and I still have episodes taped I can't watch.? This used to be a great soap, but the writing and many of the new characters just don't work.? Maybe the writers need to revisit the years that the writing was great. when I had 28 episodes taped that I had not watched I knew it was the end for me.

My wish list for 2014 follows.

Number one (wait...I know it will be a shock): Billy Miller's return as Billy Abbott. Even if that means that David Tom was only impersonating Billy in the meantime. Hey, it worked for Todd Manning and Victor Lord Jr. on One Life to Live. It can be done.

Number two: please have some fun, happy, romantic, humorous storylines also. We need to be able to smile or laugh to help balance out all of the sadness and depression. And please give us love, love, love!

Numero tres: please, please do not kill off any more beloved characters for a while. Let us catch our breath! It's fun to bring in newbies to interact with our established veterans, but we don't want them to take over our show. Utilize the talents of the actors that we already have. We still want our much-loved veterans to shine first and foremost!

Number four: if and only if the allegations prove to be false, please bring back Michael Muhney as Adam. I would enjoy seeing more of the love story between Adam and Chelsea and also Adam being a dad to Connor.

Number five (I can't even believe I am saying this): convince Michelle Stafford to return. I have never been a big fan of Phyllis', but she sure can bring the drama. Phyllis moves stories, and she is very much needed still.

Number six: give Michael and Lauren a fantastic storyline this year. This fan favorite couple can still bring so much to our soap. We want to see more of them but with a reason to watch them again. They can bring the love!

Finally, writers, please continue to give us the excellent characters and intense drama that we come to expect from our wonderful soap. However, please don't confuse intense drama with never-ending sad and depressing storylines. Happiness can be a pleasure to behold at times too.

Have the very best 2014 possible! Until next time, please stay tuned.

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.