Back by popular demand

Phyllis returns! Did Victor's cure work? Neil finds himself both blind and in the dark about the feelings between his wife and his son. Nick confronts Mariah's mother, Helen Copeland. What is the secret in Mariah's past? To learn more, read this week's Two Scoops.

Actually, my title for this week's column is not intended to announce my unexpected return this week but actually refers to the arrival of our new Phyllis, Gina Tognoni. I couldn't be more happy to see this beloved character's reappearance, even if it is in a different yet still gorgeous (as Jack would declare) form. I am sure that Ms. Tognoni will do Phyllis justice in her own unique and very talented way. Regarding my return, Boone was afflicted with a health problem and has been in excruciating pain. We hope that you recuperate quickly, Boone, so that you can return to your nurturing Y&R family.

Let's start with Jack, since Phyllis' return has placed him into a lead story again. Hurray! And this one has the potential to be very interesting, since his visit to Phyllis in Georgia was actually for Jack to finally let her go. Somehow, I doubt that Phyllis would be comforted in knowing that the reason he was letting her go was due to another woman that he had fallen in love with -- Kelly, of course. I know that Jack was choked up over having to give up on her, but I don't think that all his regrets and tears would make Phyllis feel any better, since Jack intended to desert her.

Jack had better hope that Phyllis has amnesia when she awakens because otherwise there will be the dickens to pay. That makes me wonder, though, about just how much Phyllis will remember once she comes out of her deep sleep. Will she even remember her tumble down the stairs, thanks to her argument with Sharon? Shoot, Sharon may just luck out on that. (But the fans wouldn't because that would drag "the secret" out even longer.) If she suffers some memory loss, will Phyllis even recollect that she was engaged to Jack at the time of her fall? Either way, Jack would still be torn between Phyllis and Kelly, since he loves them both.

One person Jack doesn't love is his archenemy, Victor, who was once again pulling all the strings, just so that he could learn Sharon's secret. I am sure that Victor is delighted that Phyllis' emergence from her coma will tumble up Jack's world too. Don't get me wrong -- I know that Jack will be thrilled, but it will definitely play havoc with his life and his loves. So Jack's drama will just be icing on the cake for Victor. And Victor did what he does best -- he threw money into a generous grant to be awarded to Phyllis' son, Daniel, which came complete with a ticket out of the country. Bye-bye, Daniel!

But we finally got to see Phyllis' face again as she lay silently, not hearing her beloved fianc's words. Or did she? The fingers on her hand twitched uncontrollably, and her eyes started to flicker. I do believe the experimental drugs were working. Victor's diabolical plot to learn Sharon's secret just may prove to be successful, and Phyllis would most certainly approve of Victor's method, especially since it works for Phyllis and against Sharon. (And that's not even counting that the method was bringing Phyllis out of her coma.)

Speaking of Sharon, Mariah was still on the prowl, although Sharon didn't realize that there could be a viper in her midst. It's not so crazy that Mariah was determined to make Nick care. I think Nick cares a little anyway, even if he won't admit it. But Mariah wanted Nick to be more than just caring, I am sure. I thought that Sharon was a little hasty in ridding herself of Dr. Mead so quickly. Sure, the doc did talk to Victor and didn't tell Sharon, but Dr. Mead refused to betray a confidence, even after Victor tried to use his very persuasive ways. That should probably have made Sharon trust her more. But Sharon would rather throw all her faith into Mariah and ditch the doctor who stood by her. Strange. Y&R fan SharonN remarked on Y&R fan Jeanna's comment from last week:

I like Jeanna's idea on the Cassie twin being stolen but since it would be pretty hard not to notice giving birth to a second child, my bet would be that they looked for Mariah and couldn't find her. Sharon had already decided to give them up for adoption which was bad enough but when the second baby was stolen she lost it. In order to recover from her nervous breakdown she had ECT so she could get on with her life. After ECT she only recovered the memory of one child and her mother never again brought up the second child and that's why Sharon doesn't know about Mariah.

As I have said before, I think this would be a fun storyline, and I wish the writers would consider it. Cassie's twin could be that special reminder for Sharon and Nick of the lovely, young lady that they loved and lost. Mariah would then give them yet another connection besides Faith...which Sharon will need once Nick learns the truth of the incident on the stairs with Phyllis. And especially if Sharon really did change Summer's paternity test results. Wouldn't it be great if, instead of spending her time chasing after Nick, Mariah would take the time to get to know and love Sharon for who she is. That would be a nice change of pace.

But Mariah's crushing on Nick seemed even worse when Sharon brought home yet another new outfit for Mariah and suggested that the young minx live at the tack house, which was close enough for them to support Mariah but far enough for them not to hover over her. Sharon, you are just being way too good to this girl. I know that Sharon continues to claim to know that Mariah is not Cassie, but the resemblance has to be keeping Sharon's guard down. And since Mariah never really had a mother in her life, you would think she would be more appreciative.

Nick questioned Mariah more about the mother who was three-quarters useless as a parent and who was a nurse by day and a cocktail-shaker by night. How ironic is it that her mother was a pediatrics and obstetrics nurse, since she treated her own child so poorly? Nick questioned why Mariah's mom wanted to even try motherhood at all, but as it turned out, he could go straight to the source to get the answer, since Helen Copeland walked into the bar...and into Nick and Sharon's lives.

Come to find out, Helen was in town because of Nick, not because of Mariah or Ian. In fact, she didn't even know that Mariah was in Genoa City. Nick wanted to know, "Why would Mariah be using the fact that she looks exactly like my dead daughter to gaslight the mother of my children?" However, Helen denied knowing anything about Mariah or Ian and insisted that she had never wanted Mariah in the first place and that Mariah had been all Ian's idea. What in the heck is that supposed to mean?

Could the twin story really be a possibility? Fans have been speculating about this since Mariah first hit town. While Nick was secretly listening, Helen told Ian that Nick had no idea who Mariah really was so...maybe Sharon did have twins, and Mariah was the lucky one given to Ian to raise. Helen could have pulled that off, since she was an obstetrics nurse. But this couldn't have been due to Ian's obsession for Nikki because Cassie was born before Nick had become a part of her and Sharon's lives. Nick adopted Cassie later on. So why would Helen and Ian have targeted Sharon's babies? Was this just another one of those crazy, bizarre coincidences?

Weren't we all relieved when the cameras stopped short of showing Nick and Mariah actually kissing -- even in her daydream?! That would have been just...ewww! Mariah really needs to get a new fantasy. Hopefully, Nick won't stop trying to get to the truth, and he will follow that "path," no matter where it leads. I really want to see where this one goes.

Ahhh...aren't Summer and Austin adorable? Wasn't their early Christmas celebration special? It felt strange hearing the Christmas music, though, because...hey, it's summer, Summer! But I thought it was so sweet when they exchanged their exceptional gifts to each other. When Summer revealed that she had bought Austin a special lens for the camera that he had just sold to purchase a diamond ring for her, I was reminded of The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. In this story, a lady cut and sold her long, beautiful hair to a wig-maker to buy a chain for her loved one's watch while her guy sold the watch he cherished to pay for a set of combs for her gorgeous hair. It's all so precious!

The saccharine buzz continued into Valentine's Day that Summer and Austin joked had been moved to August. Austin learned that Summer's shopping addiction was a hereditary trait received from Phyllis after Summer gave him the gift of a day planner that showed all the holidays they would be celebrating together. They really are cute together, and I am willing to give them a try as a couple. To make that happen, Austin will, of course, need help to stay out of prison, but it appeared that the cavalry was on its way.

Charging on her very own figurative gallant, white steed was our very own Leslie, who would be representing Austin at trial. And because Avery was always on the side of justice, she agreed to pen a letter on Austin's behalf for his court case. Needless to say, Dylan did not take too kindly to the idea. Neither Paul nor Dylan has been the least bit sympathetic to Austin's plight. Let's just hope Dylan doesn't destroy his place again. He just pieced it back together.

Avery admitted to Leslie that she was afraid of Dylan's reaction to her decision (although not enough to dissuade her from writing the letter, I noticed), but if she is going to live in fear for every decision she makes, he may need more therapy than what he has been getting. And maybe Avery should decide if she really wants to live that way.

Another couple in love, only in a very crazy and unusual way, is Jill and Colin, who just returned from a remarkable Caribbean vacation. Jill discovered a message from Katherine, who requested that Jill throw a one-year anniversary party of her death. And Esther was happy to help with the planning. Y&R fan Joanne suggests:

Hi there...it bugs me that the scenes in the late Katherine's living room revolve around this weird little pencil sketch of her. I would have expected a lovely colour portrait like they have on B&B of Stephanie Forrester. Any thoughts??

A beautiful portrait to showcase a gracious lady? What would be more perfect to grace Katherine Chancellor's living room. However, I believe that the sketch is used to show her wearing the necklace that she supposedly treasured so dearly. Maybe once this storyline has arrived at its conclusion, Jill can bring in a picture with more color and pizzazz -- just like the lady who once adorned that house.

I really do like Jill and Colin together, even if, at times, I feel that Colin could do more to protect Jill if he is truly in love with her. Some people in love would even give up their own lives to make sure harm would not befall their beloved ones, Colin! And Kurtz appeared to be the latest possible threat to Jill's health and happiness. I know Colin tried to chase the villain away with diamonds, but it just didn't work.

Okay, so Neil's electric jolt may be just the thing to dampen the sparks that have been flying between Devon and Hilary. Especially after Hilary learned that Neil had found her dream home -- the home that she had always desired to call her own. It's enough to warm the cockles of a young girl's heart. Sorry, Devon, I don't think your love or your money will be enough to win this battle. I still can't believe that Devon does not see his behavior as being a betrayal to his father, though. Lily is vindictive because she can't get past what Hilary did to her family and tried to do to Cane. But it's okay for Devon to continually pursue his dad's wife behind his back? Honestly, which is worse?

And now Devon will have to face an even bigger hurdle: Neil found he was blind once he returned to consciousness. How could Hilary possibly tell Neil that she is leaving him for his son after that? I wonder if it will be one of those stories where Neil discovers the truth about the shenanigans between the two and continues to pretend to be blind, even after he regains his sight, just so he doesn't lose Hilary? It's happened enough on soaps before. Since Lily and Cane saw Hilary in Devon's arms, that could be the way Neil learns about their love (and lust) for each other.

As I had mentioned several weeks ago, I just joined Twitter, and I received a couple of responses when I just recently tweeted the question, "Whose behavior could potentially be more harmful to Neil: Lily's or Devon's?" Sandra J. tweeted back, "Devon and Hilary -- no question about that, both betraying him, that is worst than anything" and Annie P. replied, "Devon and Hilary -- the son he took in off the street and raised as his son, his wife that is nastily wanting son." Hey, tweeting is fun!

However, Neil remained "totally in the dark" (in more ways than one) and even after acknowledging to Hilary that Neil had always been there for him, Devon still did not seem the least bit guilty about lusting after his dad's wife. Even after hearing that Neil's loss of vision could be permanent. Where is your loyalty, man? Why is this okay in your world, Devon? I was astonished but not really surprised when Neil requested that Devon look after Hilary. Oh, Neil, Devon's already got that one covered. But I'm not so sure that Hilary is going to be as responsive to Devon now. Boy, those dream houses work wonders!

Nikki has been getting closer and closer to taking that first drink, and you know it will happen soon. After Christine chased her out of the cabin, since Nikki didn't want to burden her kids with her stress about her newly released journal to the media, she was feeling pretty alone. Victor sure picked a good time to take off! I guess bringing Phyllis out of her coma was a bigger priority than supporting his wife in her time of need.

But Victor did eventually return home and immediately demanded that the tabloid quit smearing his wife's good name. However, Nikki feared that the gossip rag would retaliate, and she didn't want Victor to "poke the tiger." He calmed her by stating that she could always lean on him, but how true is that? Nikki can't exactly run to Victor if he is off in another state or country. And liquor was looking better and better to her all the time. Victor won't be around every time she can pick up a glass of alcohol.

So, while Nikki battled her personal demons, Victoria was still shying away from knowing who was the father of her baby, since she felt she couldn't deal with the pain she would cause either Billy or Stitch if she were to take the paternity test. Because of that, she chose Abby to accompany her in the delivery room. I have to admit that even though Abby has become somewhat of a buttinsky lately, she looked like she really enjoyed being with her sister at the ultrasound. And Abby even predicted that Victoria's baby will be a girl! I guess her name would either have to be Wilhelmina or Benavides then. I know that Benavides is a city in Texas, but I couldn't think of any good girl names starting with "Ben." I'll keep working on it. Oh, I've got it. Benjamina. Perfect!

Stitch was indeed kicked out of the residency program, and he guessed that he would lose his license to practice medicine. At least he had Avery on his side, which was rather bizarre, since Dylan was keeping his distance from his ex-friend. Avery believed that Dylan still needed his friend, though, so she offered her legal expertise to Stitch in exchange for his advice on posttraumatic stress. I still think Dylan will come around in time.

Finally, we get to Chelsea, Billy, Connor, and the strange guy monitoring their every move (that we know is Adam). I was glad to see Jeffrey back though. I always love seeing Ted Shackelford. I guess it's because of his Dallas and Knots Landing days. It was nice of Chelsea to invite Dylan along to the party, but I didn't blame him for not wanting to bring up any painful memories. I know those can't be times that he can look back on with a smile.

But really...that clown?! He was almost frightening. After that party, maybe Connor will develop the clown phobia, coulrophobia. I had to look that word up. That wouldn't just be on the top of my head. My first thought on seeing the clown was that he must be Adam. Chelsea claimed after my thought that she had not hired him, and apparently no one else did either. Was that Adam and was Connor calling him, "Dada," or was the tot saying that to Billy? If Connor called Billy "Dada," Adam sure wouldn't be pleased about that.

Now we know, for sure, that when we finally see Adam's face again, it won't be that of Michael Muhney. As announced by Soap Central, Mr. Muhney revealed, "Just got an official call, although things got very close, I will not be returning to Y&R." He then added, "That part of my life is over. Moving on... I was hopeful for a return, but now I'm hopeful for the future. Now you'll just have to promise to tune in to my future projects!"

Wow, that almost makes it sound like they were trying to work things out for him to come back. I wonder how true that is. Oh well...I guess it doesn't really matter. He will not be coming back, so we will have to look forward to seeing an eventual recast. At least time has gone by since he left, and it won't be as jarring as when Billy Abbott was recast after Billy Miller's departure. I still miss him. Y&R fan Helen laments:

As usual, a very poor choice not rehiring Michael. He makes the role believable. The art of casting is choosing the right people for the role.....something that has not been working lately on Y& R. It is sometimes painful to watch the poor acting! Michael needs to come back...at least then you might have a believable character. He also makes a great couple with Chelsea.

I agree with Helen about the on-screen chemistry between Michael's Adam and Melissa Claire Egan's Chelsea. They were dynamic together because their characters seemed to care deeply for each other. If Mr. Muhney had returned as Adam, that couple would have shot back up on my list as one of my favorite couples, along with Nick and Sharon. But that won't happen now unless the newbie really impresses me. Time will tell.

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

I am actually enjoying Kevin's quest to defeat the evil forces (Harding) at the Genoa City Police Department. I laughed at his declaration, "Find a place to dispose of the body where the vultures can pluck out the dark, bristly stubble on his chin, follicle by follicle." That was hilarious! I am glad to have the funny Kevin back again. (Even if he means to be serious.) I, for one, hope the divorce goes through.

Can Harding be any more chauvinistic than he already is? It was outrageous when he told Courtney not to go soft when she testified at the hearing because he knew that girls were weak. Really? And he said all of this at work! His remarks would still be considered sexual harassment at a workplace.

Despite Nikki's and a reporter's interference, Paul and Christine's honeymoon turned out to be sweet and romantic. I have been a little harsh on Christine lately, but I know that she has Paul's best interests at heart. I liked the honeymoon elves' little touches of wine, candlelight, and an apple pie baked from a 1957 recipe. We should all have such cool elves.

Jack had a great line to Kelly, "You can't have beginnings without an ending." How true!

I couldn't help but notice that the dates on Cassie's tombstone were covered up again when Sharon visited her grave. What's the deal? I am trying to understand why, since the dates were shown the last time we were at her gravesite. There must be a reason, but I am a little baffled as to why. Nick and Sharon were married 2/19/96 (as stated on their wedding photo album), and Cassie was born approximately three years earlier. That would make Cassie around 21 years old. The dates appear to work for Cassie (except in Summer's case), so I am not sure why the dates were hidden again. Maybe it was accidental, though I doubt it.

I found it a little strange that Kelly would be drinking a martini while covering for Lily at the Athletic Club. Not at all professional. And it was even stranger that she would greet Jack back from his trip to Georgia, and his comment after learning about Neil's accident was that Neil was Jack's sponsor...as Kelly sat with her martini. The whole scene would have worked better with a Diet Coke or any other soft drink, I would think.

Mariah's mom showed a flash of humor in her line to Nick about being "born with a silver sippy cup in your mouth." The legacy of the Newman family must be known all over the world.

Finally, I bid a fond farewell to Robin Williams, who I believed to be one of the funniest men on the planet. I have loved him since I first saw him as Mork on ,Happy Days, which was eventually spun off into Mork and Mindy. He had some amazing comedy specials and many movies, most notably to me, Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams will truly be missed. Rest in peace, Robin.

Until next time, please stay tuned.

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