The curse of ignorance -- or a blessing in disguise?

Chelsea believed her new line at Newman Enterprises was a blessing in disguise. But was Adam the one cursed by hiding the secret of his new partnership with Ian Ward? Dylan felt blessed by the upcoming arrival of his new bundle of joy. Has Sharon's desperation jinxed her future with the man she claims to love? Count your blessings and curse your demons as you read Two Scoops.

Everyone in Genoa City must be walking around with blinders on these days. So many lies and secrets are being kept for absolutely no reason, one would almost need a scorecard to keep track. Our beloved characters must hold steadfast in the saying, "Ignorance is bliss," since many have chosen to keep the ones they hold nearest and dearest in their hearts in complete unawareness. Is their ignorance really a blessing in disguise? Or could it be considered "both a blessing and a curse." (That phrase always reminds me of Tony Shalhoub's Monk.)

Sharon continued to lie to Dylan about the fact she lost their baby, even though he told her time and time again she could tell him anything and he would try to understand. He stressed the baby was not the only reason he loved her, but Sharon was still unable to trust in his love. So she remained pregnant in name only, which really made no sense to me. As much as I have joked about it, I really do realize Dylan can probably count, and enough time will eventually pass to where she won't be able to pretend she is still carrying their "original" child. Actually, that time has probably already come and gone. Seriously, Sharon does realize if she continues with the charade, she will have to come up with a real, live baby somewhere down the line, right?

You have to wonder if Sharon was still on her bipolar disorder medication as she claimed to be. How could she be? No rational person would continue with this scheme. So, what's her next step? To do to another mother what Adam did to Sharon through Ashley? Sharon knows more than anyone the pain of losing a darling daughter, since the first crucial six months of Faith's life were taken from her and can never be recovered. Surely, Sharon wouldn't cause the same aching hurt to another mother. Sage is conveniently with child now. Is that why the writers keep hitting us over the heads with the fact that Sage's pregnancy is a miracle? Will she have to suffer the same fate as Sharon did not so many years ago? But Sharon doesn't even have a dead baby to exchange for Sage's live one.

Oh, but wait... Sharon informed Dylan she needed a stay at a psychiatric facility until the medication in her system was straightened out. Oh, no! Just how long was she looking to stay away -- until enough time had passed for her to supposedly deliver her baby? She's not even showing yet. (How could she be, since she's not even pregnant?) It sounds like it will be an extended stay. Is it her intention to suddenly pop back into town with a live, healthy baby in tow? If it is Sage's, how could the physical disappearance of her baby ever be explained? With a kidnapping?

I truly, truly hope we do not have to go through this again. I hated it when Adam handed Sharon's live baby to an unknowing Ashley. His action resulted in my extreme dislike of Adam for many years. (I'd like to think I don't hate anyone. Not even a soap character.) The last thing I ever wanted to see was for Adam and Sharon to be together. To me, as a mother of two, Adam's action of robbing Sharon of the first six months of Faith's life was unforgivable and should have been inexcusable in her eyes. Even if it wasn't.

Do we really want to see Sharon do another horrible deed all in the name of her disorder? It sure wouldn't be for love. Dylan would never want to be lied to about another child he honestly believed to be his. Sharon has said it often enough to Mariah. Dylan has been hurt enough by the loss of his other children. That would include Connor after Chelsea claimed throughout her entire pregnancy that Dylan was his father. Can't Sharon see that what she is doing is far worse because she already knows Dylan was so terribly lied to and hurt in the past? As Dylan reminded Sharon yet again, "Lying is never a good idea. There is nothing worse than being lied to." How many times and in how many ways does Dylan have to keep telling her that?

There is no good reason for Sharon to continue with her plot, which is why I suspect she must have quit taking her meds as soon as she miscarried. Because there would be no logical reason to continue with the ruse, since the end result would have to be a live, healthy baby. Sharon rolled the dice, hoping she would get pregnant again immediately, which wasn't the healthiest decision she'd made either. And since she had been avoiding her therapist like the plague, all indications were that her disorder had kicked into high gear. But at least she let Mariah off the hook, although I suspect that had more to do with fearing Mariah would let the cat out of the bag than for the sake of her redheaded daughter.

How ironic that Sharon decided to voluntarily commit herself to the very facility, Fairview, where Faith was taken from her. Or planned. I just don't see where she's going with this. Of course, if she's being irrational, I wouldn't be able to. It appears Sharon's going to be having a partner in crime soon, though, since Patty was still making her home in Fairview. Ooh, Patty's going to have a new friend to play with. This should be fun.

Another person who had several cards up his sleeve was Adam, who knew the Paragon Project was elevating the number of sales for Chelsea's clothing line. And he didn't tell her?! Look at all the extra work Chelsea and her design team will need to do to keep up with the phony demand -- and it will all be a waste of time. Poor Chelsea! She was so excited because she truly believed her forced move to Newman Enterprises had turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the fashion line she had lovingly created. Sad to say, it looks to be nothing more than a curse.

But Adam is aware of the truth, and he doesn't trust his cherished Chelsea enough to tell her?! How does he think she will feel when she learns everything about his vengeance against his father? And about Adam's new partnership with Ian Ward? If Adam is aware of who Ian Ward is, he must be as delusional as Sharon off her meds. He's become almost as delusional as Sharon is off her drugs. In no way will this end well. What's scary is Ian knows who Adam is and could let that little secret out to anyone any time. Adam should be more afraid of that than anything else. It seems like just about everyone in Genoa City knows who Gabriel Bingham is now, anyway, so let's just make it official, okay? But it appears a little more juice is going to be squeezed out of this lemon.

And then there's Neil, formerly known as good guy Neil Winters, who probably could have won numerous Father of the Year awards in the past. Boy, those days are gone -- although I was relieved to hear Neil say he had not caused Hilary's fall in any way. But still, he is holding Hilary hostage in a boathouse rather than getting her the help she needs in a hospital. That's despicable. And all in the name of revenge. I guess all the bad acts have to be done in the name of something, or Neil's been affected by some vicious, villainous virus. I am getting the impression Mr. Winters still may have some unresolved feelings for his ex-wife that are not all of a retaliating nature though. Neil could still be smitten with the damsel in distress, who was only in her helpless position because of him.

To give Neil even more credit, he truly seemed to regret his one moment in time when he decided to get his revenge on the islands. But I am giving him very little credit for that because look what he did to cover his tracks. He tricked Gwen into believing he still cared about her just to get her sister's badge so he could sneak into the hospital's medicine supply closet for medication to treat Hilary. Oh, yeah, and Neil still won't get Hilary the kind of medical help she really needs. It bears repeating. I mean, how much lower can this guy sink?

Yet Neil kept claiming he had never wanted Hilary to get hurt, so who did? I can't believe Devon later found Hilary, snapped, and sent her hurtling down the cliff after he learned she knew of his supposed affair. No, that's highly unlikely, but we do have superheroes Paul and Dylan on the case, along with their trusty sidekick, Kevin -- who could be Albert the butler to their Batman and Robin. All signs are pointing in Colin's and Neil's direction. Sure, Colin is a blackmailer, but what would he have to gain by eliminating Hilary? It seems like he would actually have everything to lose. And what's the mystery behind the plane that flew to Dallas? Who was the pilot, and who else accompanied Neil when he carted Hilary on the gurney off the island?

Why isn't anyone ever held accountable for their actions in Genoa City? They don't even bother to look at what could be the consequences. Sharon, Neil, and Adam all seem to be playing some twisted game of "Follow the Leader." People are like sheep. Baa, baa! At least, Sharon and Neil have excuses, even if they are somewhat feeble. But Adam's decisions are more disgraceful, since he vowed to Chelsea he wouldn't let his desire to win his father's love destroy what they have together. Actions speak louder than words, my dear. Chelsea will be furious once she learns about the lengths Adam has gone through to succeed in his latest plan for revenge on Victor. You can tell me until the cows come home that Chelsea will understand and forgive him and I would not believe it. But enough talk about farm animals.

At least Jack has totally been on the up-and-up with Phyllis. Oh, right, maybe not so much. But instead of using her better judgment (which admittedly has not always been the best), Phyllis chose to listen to the advice of the dastardly dude Ian Ward. If only she knew about all the drama he has caused Nikki and Dylan in the past, but Phyllis was comatose at the time. In this case, a blissful ignorance would be preferable if only Ian had never returned to town. Instead, the lack of knowledge has become a curse to Phyllis, since Ian can just use her as another pawn on his "path" to gain information on his favorite people to terrorize, the Newmans.

But why on earth would Phyllis take a strange man -- one she had never met before -- into the cottage where she knew she would be with him -- all alone. I would add "and helpless," only Phyllis has never proven to be all that helpless, at least not for too long. (Remember Marco?) But still, an intelligent, savvy woman like Phyllis should think twice before taking in some total stranger who could rape or kill her. Only Ian's preferred technique is to seduce and manipulate the women as his sexual foreplay. Ooh, such spicy language. Shoot, Adam was the only one who was concerned that Phyllis had welcomed a total stranger into her home, but then again, he knew who "Fred" actually was. He had a reason to be concerned. It's never good when Adam is questioning the morals of another.

Did you see how Ian -- I mean "Fred" -- was licking his chops when Phyllis talked lovingly about her daughter, Summer. Oh yes, kismet or destiny or fate or maybe just Ian's treacherous cunning has put Phyllis straight into Ian's path, and Jack will need to detour her as soon as possible. But first Jack has to find out that the fabulous, filleting fisherman is none other than the notorious villain, who will end up being a thorn in Jack's side. Phyllis joked that "Fred" was devastatingly handsome and even went so far as to say she would look Fred's way if something were to happen to Jack. Thank goodness Jack had his alexandrite necklace handy to remind Phyllis who loved her.

Phyllis actually returned to the woods for the sole purpose of finding Fred. How could she possibly know he was a good guy? Phyllis knew nothing about Fred except that his wife was dead. But just what happened to her? I bet Ian's so-called love story would be fascinating to read if he were to tell all. Why do I have a funny feeling Phyllis may now play a part in the final chapter he has yet to write? The dinner invitation could be just what it takes to get her into Ian's book -- along with her husband, Jack.

Fortune may favor the bold, but won't Abby be shocked when she gets knocked off her high, risk-taking perch. I can see how Victoria would be annoyed with her inexperienced, younger sister constantly rubbing her success in Victoria's face. Victoria had the right idea, though, to neutralize any possible damage done by Abby when she suggested Stitch take Abby on a vacation. It just might work. Better than Nick's idea to guide Abby into making sound business decisions.

Abby has actually become somewhat obnoxious. I almost look forward to her falling off her pedestal. Does Abby have a business degree? For that matter, does anyone else besides Adam? I love it when a soap character can stroll into a major corporation and, without any kind of education or experience, make it into a huge success -- without any assistance from anyone. Why does anyone in the real world even bother to attend college? As a college graduate with a business degree, I wouldn't mind seeing Abby fall flat on her face.

I doubt if Abby's experience as the Naked Heiress has given her what she needs to run a huge corporation. Chelsea 2.0? Okay. I take it back. That makes her a genius. Even the sometimes empty-headed Ms. Newman-Abbott realized something was not quite right when the Internet sales numbers skyrocketed again. Ha! For the very first time ever, Ian thoroughly entertained me with the silly little ditty he was singing as he watched the Paragon Project mess with the data on the Newman Enterprises computer system. "Chelsea 2.0, be careful what you sew, misery and woe" followed by "you are my puppet show." Why, he could have danced a jig to that tune, and mentally, he probably was. Apparently, Victor won't be the only "unsuspecting, unenlightened, unworthy" victim of Ian's.

Mariah finally decided to take the next step in her relationship with Kevin by modeling a cute yet sexy black teddy, and she didn't look the least bit broken or damaged. I still love this couple, but I wouldn't want romance to kill their friendship. I have figured out why I would like this duo in a romantic partnership. Sure, Kevin is one of my favorite characters. But it's because both of them have not been very successful in romance in the past, and they both have been afraid to dip their toes into the water again. The attraction has been there for them, though, so they chose to start out as just friends, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, I was glad they didn't let past failures prevent them from moving on and trying something new.

That is how my husband and I started out -- as friends who flirted a lot and were very much attracted to each other. But we were both leery and cautious, due to being hurt in prior relationships, so we took it one step at a time. I have always heard that the best romantic relationships are based on friendship, and my husband and I are best friends as well. That is a solid foundation to build a marriage on. If you don't believe me, just ask Victor and Nikki. They will tell you. (Yeah, right.)

But it looks like Kevin and Mariah will never have to ask them, since they immediately decided they had no chemistry together and were happy as little larks to go back to being just friends. Come on, writers! A couple can be friends and still sizzle together too. I should know. That's just the chicken's way out -- unless there's an ulterior motive behind this sudden decision. Do the writers want to split this twosome up romantically for another reason? Oh, my gosh, could Chloe be on her way back to town?

As much as I do not want a Kevin/Chloe reunion, she still holds the mystery of who's the daddy of the child she was carrying when we last saw her -- Kevin or Billy? That is one storyline that was never wrapped up or resolved. While her return would be intriguing for that reason alone, I definitely, positively do not want Kevin and Chloe to get back together. Talk about lack of chemistry. I never saw any on-screen chemistry between the two, plus Chloe never loved Kevin as much as he loved her. At least Kevin and Mariah are cute together, and are a joy to watch. And they make each other happy. Isn't that what's important? Gosh, they could work on the sex thing. I mean, that's part of the fun, right?

A charmingly handsome stranger with a hint of an accent similar to the one Marisa used to have greeted Noah and Marisa and explained he was searching for his wife. "My name is Luka." Only this guy was no abused child. (Remember the song?) Plus, his name is spelled Luca. I underestimated just how nave Noah can be. Anyone else would have been able to judge by Marisa's expression that she was Luca's wife. And Luca was obviously referring to her in his little chat with Noah. Earth to Noah. You are seriously clueless, dude. How can you possibly compete against such a worldly man?

It was funny how Luca's arrival factored into a threat against Victor because of Marco. Almost every event in Genoa City seems to circle right back to Victor. After all, it is Victor Newman's world, and everyone else is just a prop to serve his purpose, whatever that is at the time. Poor Victor. He couldn't even bribe the offspring of the wealthy, powerful Santori family because Luca only wanted Marisa, the woman he had just called a "low-rent piece of trash." He must be into garbage. Believe me, Victor would have been more than happy to deliver that rubbish to Luca -- and away from his grandson. If only he could.

It has been interesting to watch the camaraderie between Victor and Kevin. This sure seems like an unlikely duo. Almost like Don Knotts' "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Victor's spooky goblin to Kevin's feathered poultry?

After Abby pleaded for a rah-rah cheer of "Go, Abby, go," before she stormed out of the Underground, Mariah responded with her own roar of "Go, Abby, go -- please!" Funny! Hey, they were all thinking it.

No, Cane, Joe Clark is no "Uncle Joe" to Charlie, that's for sure. Ha, whenever I hear the name Uncle Joe, I always think of that curmudgeonly uncle of the Bradley sisters on Petticoat Junction. Billie Joe, Bobbie Joe, and Betty Jo would not approve of this Joe as an uncle at all.

After hearing Victoria's description, I could almost picture a bored Abby chasing after a shiny new object. Just like a cat. It was pretty accurate, I would say.

When Noah and Nick returned to the Underground, Noah found Marisa's note to him. Did Marisa leave the bar open and unattended for anyone to come along and rob Nick blind? For that matter, is the place ever open? Later on, I did finally see a waitress walk by, but there were no patrons in sight. It's a good thing Nick went back to work at Newman Enterprises. He would starve!

Until next time,Teddi

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