Trouble with a capital T

Fisticuffs and a catfight at Chelsea's fashion show! Familiar faces are spotted behind the scenes and beyond! Have we slipped into a parallel universe? To find out more, read this week's Two Scoops.

Finally, the time has come for Jabot's infamous fashion show at the Athletic Club, featuring Chelsea's newest designs. Oh yes, there's Chelsea and Chloe; Jack; stage manager, Connie Ross; and special guest, Rick Forrester from The Bold and the Beautiful in attendance. Wait a minute...or is that Annie and Maggie, Cliff, Opal, and J.R. from Pine Valley? (And even Dixie?!) Wow, have we crossed over into another dimension from The Young and the Restless to All My Children? (Cue The Twilight Zone eerie music.) It almost has that feel to it, doesn't it?

Gosh, if we could just bring back Sarge (Jesse on AMC) and Harmony (Angie), AMC fans could really rejoice. Oh, on second thought, forget Harmony. Y&R fans truly don't want her back. But it's really a shame that Billy Miller isn't still playing Billy Abbott. But of course, I would think that, anyway, because I still miss him as Billy. Prior to being Billy on Y&R, Mr. Miller played Richie, Annie's brother, on AMC at one time. That's why it was so weird having him interact with Chelsea when she first arrived on the scene. Talk about a family affair!

If only "Opal" had brought Tad the Cad (for the Tad and Dixie fans, of course) and especially Erica Kane along with her to Genoa City. Wouldn't Miss Kane feel right at home at the fashion show with her elegance and her fashion expertise? She surely would have been telling them how the new designs should pop. I can almost picture Erica Kane running the entire show -- because she most certainly would.

But we will have to settle for Connie Ross, who forged ahead and took no prisoners. When she insisted that there would be no shenanigans on her watch, Ms. Ross became a lady after my own heart. That's exactly what would be needed in that kind of environment: control and organization. Connie had some great lines to introduce her rather forceful character. I loved it when she yelled at Lily and Hilary, "So that means you need to get your fannies backstage pronto!" You tell them, girl!

Good luck with running a smooth operation, Connie Ross, since Chloe seemed to have other ideas after Chelsea made it perfectly clear to Chloe that only the show mattered, not Chloe's friendship. I ask you, how could Chloe expect anything else after she had kidnapped Chelsea's son and had spirited him off to Paris? Not to just an apartment on the other side of town but to another country! Chloe has always been self-centered, but she has been really over the top lately. She thought it would be a good idea to duke it out with Chelsea in the Athletic Club right before the fashion exhibit while chaos reigned backstage. How sensible and totally professional. Okay.

And Chloe's treatment of Kevin has been deplorable. This is a man who truly loves her and is doing everything he can to help her. But she so obviously does not want his help, and she refused to listen to any advice that he offered her. Kevin was right. Chelsea needed time, but that was something that Chloe was unwilling to give her.

So, instead of trying to make amends with Chelsea in order to renew their friendship and secure their partnership, Chloe thought it would be more practical to slice and chop the featured dress for the finale. Esmeralda's dress. As Chloe pointed out to Chelsea, "I finally got credit for something. I mean, you cut me out of the show. You cut me out of the business. So yeah, I cut the dress."

I laughed when Connie said to the faceless person on the other side of her headset, "We've got quite a bit of trouble with a capital T," because it was true. But it was Chelsea to the rescue with her handy-dandy needle and thread as repairs were miraculously made to the gown. So the show was on, and it was a success!

Now, back to Rick and Caroline Forrester -- welcome to Genoa City! Honestly, they are one of my favorite couples on The Bold and the Beautiful. I think that Rick and Caroline are very well-suited for each other both personally and professionally, especially after the writers made Caroline a little wacky. I thought she was pretty boring at first. And she was absolutely glowing when they first walked in at the Athletic Club. Of course, she was with child.

At the time, I thought that Noah really should have attended the fashion show just to have a scene with Caroline, since Linsey Godfrey and Robert Adamson are actually married and are about to become first-time parents. Noah could say something about how he can't wait to someday become a father himself or something corny like that. That would be so cute and so perfect!

Come to find out, the writers were way ahead of me. Sure enough, Noah ran into Caroline at Crimson Lights, where they expressed to each how surprised they were that they hadn't met before. Caroline noted that she had a bun in the oven. Well, she meant a cinnamon roll, of course, even though we all knew what she was really referring to. Noah swore that he would see Caroline soon, and we knew that to be true when the two actors would later see each other at home. Finally, Noah observed that Caroline was a girl that he had known from another life. Very clever writing!

So, anyway, Caroline was radiant and pretty as always, and Rick and Caroline were ready to join forces with Chelsea to introduce their new clothing lines. I had to laugh at Caroline's description of the "boho chic, sloppy, trendy look" once she spied Chloe and Chelsea's appearance after their catfight. I would say that she covered any embarrassment that Chloe and Chelsea might have had. Well, Chelsea anyway. I am not sure anything would faze Chloe at this point. She's just too far gone. And I think that Kevin, Chelsea, and even Chloe finally realized that.

I have said all along that Chloe has never been my favorite character and that I never cared for the Chloe and Kevin pairing, and that is still true. I was sad when Kevin declared that he had only wanted to put Chloe back together after Delia's death and that he had hoped that love would be a magic solution to fix her. But I have to admit that even I was a little teary-eyed when Chloe stated that she wouldn't blame Kevin if he walked away. Kevin's words echoed what I stated in my last column -- that Chloe had lost her spark, her heart, and her fire. Well, I actually said that she hadn't been as vibrant and annoyingly effervescent as she once was. Close enough.

However, I lost any sympathy for Chloe once she told Chelsea that without the rage or Chelsea, Chloe had absolutely nothing left. Really? I always knew that she didn't love Kevin as much as he loved her, but did Chloe feel nothing for the man who had stood by her side and tried to help her through the most tragic time in her life? To play devil's advocate (on myself at that), maybe Kevin is just too big of a reminder of Delia's demise.

But then again, why wouldn't Chelsea be, also, since she was married to the man who supposedly hit Chloe's darling daughter? Who really knows what's going on in Chloe's head? I just really feel for Kevin, since he overheard Chloe's remark to Chelsea. He realized then that he wasn't even a blip in her heart. Now that is sad!

The big event also seemed filled with other shenanigans, as well, and not necessarily of the rock 'em, sock 'em kind. That would be the more-than-flirtation going on between Neil and Hilary, of course. They kissed, and later, Lily noticed that Hilary was trying to cozy up to her dad. Come on, Hilary. You know that Leslie just broke up with Neil and stomped all over his heart. You should have stage fright about jumping into a romantic liaison with a jilted and spurned lover.

And either Neil got over his love for Leslie very quickly, or he is on the rebound. (My guess is the rebound thing.) I would hate to think that love can be forgotten so easily, but if it was, Neil was never truly in love with Leslie anyway. At least that is my opinion. Feelings just cannot be turned on and off so quickly.

During the fashion show, we had Neil and Devon both shooting longing looks at Hilary, who returned that with a smothering gaze of her own. But to which man? It was hard to tell since they were standing right next to each other, but my money's on Neil. I don't think she feels that way about Devon.

At the same time, Esmeralda was sending out her own glances to Devon, who only had eyes for Hilary. You have to feel for the girl that we don't know a lot about. If looks can tell, she may soon be suffering from a case of unrequited love. Unless she seriously only wants Devon for his money. If that's the case...never mind.

In developments outside of the fashion show (hard to believe, right?), Victor finally admitted that he was not happy about Abby's engagement to Tyler. But at least he was willing to let Nick take Sharon as his date to the family engagement party. That's if Sharon will agree to go with Nick. And if Tyler and Abby actually invite the two very intense families, the Newmans and the Abbotts, to the wedding. The engaged couple kicked around the idea of eloping but decided to brave the endless questions from their families instead. Very courageous!

And Sharon decided to attend the engagement party on Nick's arm after some incredibly hot and steamy bedroom scenes. I thought it was so sweet when Nick pointed out that after all the years, he and Sharon always ended up back together and that they were two halves of one whole. How very romantic! Somehow, I don't think Victor or anyone else will have to worry about Nick and Sharon reuniting for long, though, because once the truth comes out about Phyllis and Summer, which will probably be before Sharon remembers it herself, Nick and Sharon will most likely be a couple no more. Y&R fan Ann begs:

Please let Sharon remember and tell Nick the truth about Summer or let Phyllis wake up long enough to tell Jack the truth. This is dragging on too long.

I absolutely agree with you, Ann. This story has lasted for what seems to be an eternity and the fans would really like to have some resolution soon. If we are waiting for Phyllis to come out of her coma, that may take another eternity. I am just afraid that the fans, who would love to see Nick and Sharon back together, may end up being disappointed once the truth is revealed. While Sharon seems to be in a much better and healthier place, her past actions, while she was still ill, may return to haunt her and to destroy any hopes she may have of reuniting with Nick. Y&R fan Maurine discusses Sharon and Cassie:

I am eagerly looking forward to "ghost Cassie" being seen physically by someone who would recognize her (like Nick or Nikki) and then [the] ultimate revelation of why she is identical in appearance. The obvious explanation is that Sharon gave birth to twins, separated at birth. New Cassie clearly cares about Sharon and I think she would gladly accept her as her mother!

I have always liked the twins idea but everyone has a doppelganger -- someone else who looks just like you -- and that just may be what fake Cassie is. Maybe she is just a stranger who happens to be the spitting image of Sharon's deceased daughter. But guess what? Nick just found faux Cassie peeking through the window during Abby and Tyler's engagement party. It's about time! He should finally learn that all of Sharon's visions weren't imaginary.

The guests, including Ashley sporting a sassy, shoulder-length haircut, gathered at the party, and Traci thanked Nikki for what she hoped to be an enjoyable evening. Can you blame Nikki when she just wished to have an uneventful one? And the party seemed to be drama-free until Jack mentioned that Bonaventure would be shut down, and Nikki rushed over with offers of cake. Ashley then toasted the happy couple and stressed the importance of being able to find someone you connect with on all levels, that understands you, that gets into your heart, and that you can't imagine not being with the rest of your life. What a wonderful toast! We should all be that lucky.

Victor followed these beautiful words with his own advice for a successful marriage: commitment, loyalty, mutual respect, and forgiveness...lots of forgiveness. Hey, Victor, don't forget the secrets, lies, and manipulation. Those seem to be the words he lives by. Victor may know the recipe for a happy marriage, but he sure doesn't apply them very often. Nikki struggles with that as well. But somehow, they still chug along together, through thick and thin, good times and bad. Well, whatever works, I guess.

The only guests that did not seem to enjoy the evening were Billy and Victoria, who believed that the toasts hit too close to home. After they kissed, Victoria ran home and got ready for her date with Stitch and then threw that in Billy's face. She wanted to make a point that she was moving on with her life, and boy, did she! Billy got the point and raced over to Chelsea's.

I wonder if Billy and Chelsea will comfort each other in more than just an emotional way? If the past is any indication, Billy appears to jump into the physical kind of solace to help him forget his pain. Maybe it is time for him to move on, also, but should he even consider it being with Chelsea?

What I find interesting is that as much as Victor wants Victoria away from "Billy Boy," he wasn't exactly warming up to Stitch either. Victor issued a reminder to the doctor that his daughter was vulnerable and warned him to beware. You would think that Victor would do anything to get Victoria away from Billy, including encouraging her in a relationship with Stitch. I wonder just what man would be good enough for the daughter of Victor Newman? I am not sure that there is one. Maybe Victor really wants Victoria to be alone for the rest of her life. How sad.

Oh, my, I just remembered that Amelia Heinle was also a former citizen of Pine Valley. What a small (soap) world! She once played Mia on All My Children. Ms. Heinle has really been knocking it out of the ballpark this past year on Y&R, especially during Delia's tragedy. We are grateful for her remarkable portrayal of Victoria Newman.

As Soap Central announced on April 11, a new OB/GYN by the name of Dr. Chiverton, played by Helen Shaver, will come to the aid of a new expectant mother, and this news has the fans talking. Since we just learned that the new mom-to-be is not Lauren, who do you think it is? Could it be Sharon? Could it be Victoria? Well, at least with Sharon, it would not be another "Who's the Daddy?" storyline. We can't really say that about Victoria. Y&R fan Dayzee comments:

Not sure there has been time yet for Victoria to be pregnant from her one-night stand with Ben, but it seems likely that she could be the one who is pregnant, although even if this is not a pregnancy for Lauren, she will need treatment for a while, especially if she has a 'hysterical pregnancy,' which would be an interesting storyline. I'd like to think that the doctor will be on board waiting for a future pregnancy after Jack and the new Kelly get to know each other and things progress to spending a night together. I would so love to see Jack have a chance to raise a child from the beginning.

Wow, I hadn't thought of Kelly, I guess because Kelly and Jack haven't gotten together. Yet. But it could very well happen in the near future, and Kelly might need Dr. Chiverton by the time the doctor is shown on-screen. It would certainly be an interesting development. I have read that some fans think that it even might be Chelsea, but I think that it's been too long since she and Adam were last together. Unless, of course, she has ignored all the symptoms of pregnancy. Or if she gets together with Billy. Either way, that would certainly bring Adam back to Genoa City!

As far as a "hysterical pregnancy" for Lauren, I would think that since she isn't pregnant, she may be going through the early stages of menopause. It wouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility for Lauren to be pregnant, however, she is definitely at the age where she could be going through menopause. Y&R fan Cathy remarks:

I hope that whatever is going on with Lauren is something that will play out for a number of months. If Lauren is pregnant, we would have at least 9 months worth of a storyline. How many months can you tell a story about menopause? I liked the fact that in the past, Y & R used to tell stories about issues that faced society but that doesn't happen anymore.

If this is to be a story about menopause, I just hope that it is done in a realistic way. Viewers are more intelligent than the writers give them credit for at times. But Michael said that Lauren had felt faint and had been feeling ill, so I think there might just be a simpler answer. I suspect that Lauren just may have a bad case of the empty nest syndrome. I mean, she didn't start feeling sick until right after she learned that Fen was going away to college. It would make sense.

I remember after my youngest son left home, I suffered the effects of the empty nest syndrome and felt totally lost. I had been a mother for so many years that I wasn't sure who I was anymore. But I certainly had the time to find out, which I did. At least Lauren has a head start, since she already has a career with her own business. No matter which way the writers spin this, I just hope that it will be a refreshingly new story, one that will impact the audience and make each person want to tune in every day. Give us the drama!

Back to Kelly...wasn't it interesting to see Cynthia Watros' Kelly at the fashion show and Cady McClain's Kelly immediately afterwards? Dixie!! Actually, Cady's Kelly reminds me more of Rosanna Cabot from As the World Turns (the hairstyle and attitude, I think) than of All My Children's Dixie. And since I really liked Rosanna on ATWT, I totally approve! I found it strange that Kelly had not known that Phyllis had worked with Jack at Jabot until the very protective Summer informed her.

After Kelly saw the picture of the "stunning" Phyllis posed with Jack, she backed out of their dinner date. But we know that there is more in store between Jack and Kelly, and now with Cady's version of Kelly, I am really looking forward to it. Or would that be between Cliff and Dixie? It's crazy when you think about it, right?

The mystery of the music box continued, but solving the mystery was really the path for Jill and Colin's renewal of their love for each other. (Oh, not the path thing again!) As always, they brought the laughs, though, and I appreciated the humor when Colin referred to her as Jill Fenmore...or "whatever your name is this week." Also, Colin noted that Jill liked the thrill, the anticipation and the excitement of the chase and claimed that he wanted a lady who wouldn't dangle him off the side of a building. Great reference to Genevieve!

Colin poured out his heart to Jill, but just how sincere is he? We know that Jill loves Colin, even when she tries to deny it, but does she really have her eyes open? Jill walked in just as Colin was saying on the phone that Jill would lead him to "the old girl's money," although Jill claimed that she hadn't overheard. I had to laugh when Colin called Johnny "the little grand-guy." That Colin has such a way with words.

Jill can be pretty descriptive herself, as she listed Colin's characters flaws of ego, greed, deceptive charm, and not being very patient. She is seriously trying not to blind herself to him. However, she then indicated to Cane and Lily that Colin should be given another chance to get to know his grandkids. I just hope that Colin doesn't disappoint them all.

Apparently, Newman money didn't stretch as far as Madison County, so Ian is a free man with a huge secret, which he dangled again in front of Dylan. Come on, just tell us the secret already. We know that it has something to do with Dylan's father because of the constant references and hushed moments every time he is mentioned. Earlier, after Avery had yelled that Dylan's father was a monster, Leslie became very quiet. That was because she knew the truth. Well, since Ian will stick around town indefinitely, eventually the secret will come out. Could it involve a certain chief of police that we all know and love?

Ian again led us to believe just that when he hinted to Paul that he knew more than Paul thought. Ian wanted to report a crime that someone had broken into his room, probably to send a message to leave town. And Paul wondered if the someone had been Dylan, who could have been on a scavenger hunt for answers. Funny how Dylan never denied that it had been him. Y&R fan Sueallyn speculates:

Dylan is about to find out he has another brother, AUSTIN is that brother. Also, I believe that someone is going to let the cat out of the bag that Dylan's father is really Paul, and this brother is also Paul's son, they may have been fraternal twins and Nicky did not know, or there is another mystery woman who Paul had relations with at the cult...but does not remember!

Since Austin's first scenes were with Avery and Dylan, this is a possibility. (Oh, by the way, welcome Matthew Atkinson!) With producer Marcus in tow, cameraman Austin comforted Avery when she froze in front of the camera as they were shooting the pilot for her cooking show. Avery was very nervous and klutzy at first, but once she relaxed, she was "perfect, just like her cake." And didn't her chocolate souffl look scrumptious? I wanted to reach into my television screen and grab a piece. A cake like that deserves more than four fans.

I have to give Nikki credit: she actually informed Victor that Ian was released from prison. Maybe she is finally learning? I laughed out loud when Victor actually doubted if Nikki knew him all that well. I have been wondering that for quite some time now due to all of the poor decisions she has been making. After he vowed to Nikki that he would not to do anything regarding Ian, Victor surprised Ian in the park and threatened...no, excuse me, promised that Ian would never see Vic coming if Ian even dared to breathe the same air as any member of his family. It was almost like a showdown at high noon with pistols blazing. I don't know...maybe Ian should take Victor seriously.

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

I enjoyed Victor's remark to Stitch at Victoria's about making house calls. Remember the good old days when doctors used to do that? I think back to the 70s and to everyone's favorite doctor, dear, beloved Marcus Welby, M.D. He always made house calls and was there to give his fatherly advice. We all wanted a doctor like Dr. Welby.

And speaking of past television shows, every time I hear the name Esmeralda, I can't help but think of the inept nanny played by Alice Ghostly on Bewitched. I remembered that she would fade away or disappear any time she messed up or was embarrassed by something she did. Wouldn't we all love to vanish at times like that?

I always pay particular attention to the dresses and accessories during any special event that takes place on a soap, and my choice for favorite dress at the fashion show goes to (drum roll)...Abby Newman! I loved her flowing white dress, the sparkly, dangling earrings, and the tiara-like jeweled clip and veil. It was a glimpse of her as a bride. As Billy Crystal's Fernando would say, you looked mahvelous, Abby!

Is Noah delusional, or does he just blind himself to the truth? When he told Courtney that once his granddad saw how happy Noah was with Courtney, nothing else would matter to Victor -- yeah, right...that's always Victor's number one concern: that his children and grandchildren are happy.

Poor Johnny! Stuck in that very loud plaid shirt. His destiny is not for future fashion shows.

Kelly rewarded Summer with a gift of Belgian truffles after all of Summer's hard work. Hey, I will take that kind of reward any day!

The going rate for saving a life per Colin: a bloody Mary and an omelet. Boy, times are hard.

After a nervous, klutzy Avery practically destroyed her kitchen, Dylan offered her these words for her show, "So, remember what they say, 'Break a....' Never mind. Don't break anything." Very wise advice. Don't jinx it!

Don't tell me that chivalry isn't dead after all! According to Nick, "Well, a gentleman always picks up the woman for a date, drives at an acceptable speed, opens every door, and retrieves all forgotten items." That's certainly going back to the Stone Age! Where are these gentlemen today?

Welcome back, Jeffrey and Ted Shackelford! It's always a treat to see Jeff, even if he's only trying to cash in on Chelsea's supposedly deceased husband. We can always use his humor to lighten up a scene.

Loved Nikki's gown and earrings at the engagement party. And also at the engagement party, thumbs up on Abby's earrings and down on her dress.

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